Gaming

Blizzard China Prioritizes Restoring Operation of Blizzard Games in China

Jan 29, 2024, 11:55am2024/01/29 11:55:19 Pandaily

On January 26th, Microsoft’s gaming division announced a large-scale layoff of 1,900 employees, mainly concentrated in departments such as Blizzard. In response to this, a representative from Blizzard China exclusively told a reporter from ThePaper that “this team and personnel adjustment involves the global level of the company, and some colleagues at Blizzard China have also been affected. On the other hand, finding local partners and resuming operation of Blizzard games in China is still one of our current priorities.”

Blizzard Halts Game Services in China as Licenses With NetEase Expire

Blizzard Entertainment, a leading game developer and publisher based in California, announced on November 16 that it will be suspending most game services in mainland China due to the expiration of current licensing agreements with China's NetEase.

Hearthstone Team in Talks With New Potential Game Distribution Partners in China

Blizzard China released a letter from Nathan Lyons-Smith, General Manager of Hearthstone’s production team, to all of the game’s players in China on December 23, saying that it is currently negotiating with some potential new distribution partners.

Blizzard President: Do Everything to Reopen Chinese Servers ASAP

On July 17th, the suspension of operation for the Chinese servers of 7 Blizzard games, including World of Warcraft, has reached 175 days, approaching half a year. Mike Ybarra, President of Blizzard, was also asked about the situation regarding the Chinese servers during a live stream on July 15th.

NetEase and Blizzard Respond to the News of Re-Collaboration

NetEase responded by not commenting on the online rumors about a potential re-collaboration with Blizzard. And Blizzard stated that there is currently no information or updates to share.

Subscribe now to get unlimited access.