NetEase and Microsoft partners to relaunch popular gaming titles in the Chinese market

Chinese gaming market: China's NetEase and US gaming giant Microsoft announced on Wednesday ir plans to reintroduce popular titles such as "World of Warcraft" to Chinese market. move follows a fallout involving developer and termination of a nearly 15-year partnership.

partnership aims to bring online games from Blizzard Entertainment, a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard acquired by Microsoft last year, back to China starting this summer. NetEase, which previously served as publisher of Blizzard games in China from 2008 to 2023, will resume this role.

Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Faries expressed excitement about re-establishing partnership with NetEase, underlining ir commitment to delivering exceptional gaming experiences to Chinese players.

In dition to reviving Blizzard games in China, NetEase and Microsoft have agreed to explore opportunities to bring NetEase titles to Microsoft's Xbox and or gaming platforms. This collaboration holds significance for NetEase's aspirations to expand its overseas presence, according to industry analysts.

announcement led to a positive market response, with NetEase's share price rising approximately 2 per cent on Wednesday morning, following a 3 per cent gain previous day.

fallout between Blizzard and NetEase occurred in January 2023, resulting in several Blizzard games being taken offline in China due to disagreements over intellectual property control. However, tensions eased after Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard in October, followed by subsequent management changes.

renewed publishing agreement covers Blizzard's flagship games, including "World of Warcraft" and "Hearthstone," along with or titles from "Warcraft," "Overwatch," "Diablo," and "StarCraft" franchises.

Analysts estimate that NetEase's earnings could see a 2 per cent incremental increase as a result of re-engagement with Blizzard. Blizzard games h garnered popularity in China, with "World of Warcraft" alone boosting approximately five million Chinese players in 2009.

termination of partnership sparked outcry among Chinese gamers, leing to over a million refund requests for unspent in-game credit, according to NetEase customer service.

(With Reuters inputs)