Blizzard to suspend game services in China as NetEase licences end

ACTIVISION Blizzard’s game development and publishing unit said on Thursday (Nov 17) it would suspend most Blizzard game services in mainland China once its current licencing agreements with NetEase end in January.

Blizzard Entertainment said it had not reached a deal to renew the licences with the Chinese Internet and gaming giant that was “consistent with Blizzard’s operating principles and commitments to players and employees”.

China’s massive gaming industry, once marked by unbridled growth, has been heavily bruised by Beijing’s efforts to tighten its oversight of the sector, including by reducing the number of gaming licences given out and limiting play time for teens.

California-based Blizzard Entertainment said new sales would be suspended in the coming days and Chinese players would soon receive further details.

The games to be suspended from Jan 23 include World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Warcraft III: Reforged, Overwatch, the StarCraft series, Diablo III, and Heroes of the Storm.

However, upcoming releases for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, Hearthstone: March of the Lich King, and season 2 of Overwatch 2 will proceed later this year.

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“We are looking for alternatives to bring our games back to players in the future,” Blizzard Entertainment’s president Mike Ybarra said in the statement. REUTERS