On Nov. 16, Blizzard Entertainment revealed it’s suspending its game services in China starting Jan. 23, 2023, since its long-term partnership with Chinese distributor NetEase will be coming to a close. Although it’s normal practice to inform employees about upcoming changes beforehand, the World of Warcraft devs were taken by surprise when they learned Chinese players will have access to the upcoming Dragonflight expansion for only two months.
Speaking with The Washington Post about the suspension of all services in China, the WoW studio head explained they don’t know any other details the public doesn’t already know. “In terms of this topic, I think you have pretty much all the news that we have at this point,” John Hight said on Nov. 23.
Since WoW has a tremendous player base in China, the devs are exploring their options to continue operating in China. “We are working different angles to figure out how and how quickly we could get service again to our Chinese players,” Hight said.
On top of that, the Chinese market and Blizzard’s partnership with NetEase culminated last year, with Blizzard earning $264 million in revenue.
The end of Blizzard’s partnership with NetEase means the end of a 14-year-long partnership. The main reason NetEase listed as a deal-breaker is the differences in “commitment to players, employees and operating principles.”
Hopefully, Blizzard will find a way to either bypass the strict Internet system in China or find a different provider.
