Discussion Blizzard and NetEase Make-Up; Blizzard games will sequentially roll back out in China; MS and NetEase partner to bring NetEase games to Xbox and more

[ILikeFeet]

BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT AND NETEASE RENEW AGREEMENT TO BRING BELOVED TITLES BACK TO CHINA; MICROSOFT GAMING, NETEASE ENTER BROADER COLLABORATION​

Blizzard titles to return to mainland China beginning summer 2024

Microsoft Gaming and NetEase deepen their relationship, with a strategic partnership based on their shared desire to bring new gaming experiences to players across platforms and markets​

IRVINE, Calif., REDMOND, Wash., AND HANGZHOU, Zhejiang [April 9 PT, April 10 CT] / -- Beloved video game titles from Blizzard Entertainment that captivated millions of players in China will return to the market sequentially, beginning this summer, under a renewed publishing deal Blizzard Entertainment, Microsoft Gaming, and NetEase (NASDAQ: NTES and HKEX: 9999) announced today.

After continuing discussions over the past year, both Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase are thrilled to align on a path forward to once again support players in mainland China and are proud to reaffirm their commitment to delivering exceptional gaming experiences.

The renewed publishing agreement will encompass games Chinese players had access to under the previous agreement: World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, and other titles in the Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft® universes. Building upon more than 15 years of past collaboration, Blizzard and NetEase are working diligently on relaunch plans, with further details to be shared at a later date.

Separately, Microsoft Gaming and NetEase have also entered into an agreement to explore bringing new NetEase titles to Xbox consoles and other platforms.

“We at Blizzard are thrilled to reestablish our partnership with NetEase and to work together, with deep appreciation for the collaboration between our teams, to deliver legendary gaming experiences to players in China,” said Johanna Faries, President of Blizzard Entertainment. “We are immensely grateful for the passion the Chinese community has shown for Blizzard games throughout the years, and we are focused on bringing our universes back to players with excellence and dedication.”

“Celebrating our collaborations, we are thrilled to embark on the next chapter, built on trust and mutual respect, to serve our users in this unique community that we’ve built together.” said William Ding, Chief Executive Officer and Director, NetEase. “Our commitment to providing more exhilarating and creative entertainment experience remains unwavering, and we are excited to see positive synergies fostered to encourage and empower collaborations to bring the joy of gaming to a broad community.”

“Blizzard and NetEase have done incredible work to renew our commitment to players – Blizzard’s universes have been part of players’ lives in the region for many years. Returning Blizzard’s legendary games to players in China while exploring ways to bring more new titles to Xbox demonstrates our commitment to bringing more games to more players around the world,” said Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming.

Blizzard Press Center - "Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase Renew Agreement to Bring Beloved Titles Back to China; Microsoft Gaming, NetEase Enter Broader Collaboration"

<p>Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (<a class="gp-autolink" href="http://www.blizzard.com" target="_blank">www.blizzard.com</a>), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft...

blizzard.gamespress.com

gonna be great for the Xbox handheld. and that other, red handheld or whatever

 

[kirbyfan407]

What would this part mean?

Separately, Microsoft Gaming and NetEase have also entered into an agreement to explore bringing new NetEase titles to Xbox consoles and other platforms.

Wouldn't an Xbox handheld still be considered an Xbox console? I don't get what else Microsoft would be negotiating about unless they're talking about Windows, but I assume most games would hit that anyway. Is Xbox Cloud Gaming considered separate and something that would require its own negotations, or is it that Microsoft would be the publisher and they might publish NetEase games for PlayStation and Nintendo?

 

[ILikeFeet]

My guess is that MS will assist in localization and/or publishing of netease games for all systems, including assisting in creating windows/xbox/Microsoft mobile store versions

 

[ILikeFeet]

the most important news is the statue that NetEase destroyed will have a new version cast.

NetEase and Blizzard will craft a new Warcraft Gorehowl statue after last year's destruction - Battlechat

NetEase has revealed its renewed partnership with Blizzard Entertainment to create a brand-new Gorehowl statue. Last year, following the announcement of the shutdown, NetEase publicly demolished the existing World of Warcraft statue

battlechat.co

 

[ILikeFeet]

There are now over 2 million pre-registrations for World of Warcraft in China, ahead of its relaunch.

Also, there have been 92k accounts recovered by past players + 147k accounts reactivated.

Players in China will be able to use their original account at relaunch.

In our survey last year, we found that World of Warcraft and Overwatch were the most played Blizzard PC titles prior to the shutdown in Jan 2023.

68% of respondents that played WoW said at the time that they would return to a CN version if the game officially relaunched with local servers and existing game data.