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The Majority of Blizzard Games are Ending Services in China

World of Warcraft, Diablo and Overwatch areĀ among those affected
by Joe Wilcock on November 17, 2022   



Blizzard Entertainment has had an agreement with NetEase to publish their games in China since 2008, allowing games such as World of Warcraft, Hearthstone and Overwatch to be accessible in the Asian country. That agreement is set to expire on January 23rd 2023 with no plans to renew it:
 

"Blizzard Entertainment has had licensing agreements with NetEase since 2008, covering the publication of these Blizzard titles in China. The two parties have not reached a deal to renew the agreements that are consistent with Blizzard’s operating principles and commitments to players and employees, and the agreements are set to expire in January 2023.

We will suspend new sales in the coming days and Chinese players will be receiving details of how this will work soon. Upcoming releases for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, Hearthstone: March of the Lich King, and season 2 of Overwatch 2 will proceed later this year."

- Blizzard Entertainment


There will be some games and expansions that will be unaffected despite the upcoming uncertainty. World of Warcraft's Dragonflight expansion is still scheduled for release as is Hearthstone's March of the Lich King set and Overwatch 2's season 2. Thanks to Tencent's involvement with Diablo Immortal, it will be largely unaffected too. 

The lockdown on Blizzard games comes via China's recent condemnation and new restrictions on video games within the country. Under-18s have been given limited time to play games as of late, just one example of their gaming lockdown. Despite the controversy, Blizzard president, Mike Ybarra, offers his gratitude to the Chinese community:
 

“We’re immensely grateful for the passion our Chinese community has shown throughout the nearly 20 years we’ve been bringing our games to China through NetEase and other partners. Their enthusiasm and creativity inspire us, and we are looking for alternatives to bring our games back to players in the future.”

- Mike Ybarra, Blizzard Entertainment President


Check back with DailyGamer for more Blizzard Entertainment news.

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