Readers likely remember that 2023 started off with a tire fire as Blizzard and NetEase had a particularly nasty dissolution of a licensing deal – an event that was pockmarked with corporate venom spitting from both sides and blame laid upon the shoulders of one unnamed “jerk,” all while employees in China suffered layoffs and Chinese fans saw sunsets of Blizzard games like Overwatch and World of Warcraft.
It appears that the end of that assumed jerk’s tenure and the completed acquisition of ABK by Microsoft have changed minds at NetEase, as insider reporting from 36kr claims that a new deal is being proposed between the two companies, which could once again bring back Blizzard’s games to China.
According to 36kr’s sources, Bobby Kotick was a much-maligned reference within NetEase, at one point calling him a “devil CEO” according to Google Translate, but now that he is leaving the company, NetEase looks to be willing to work with Blizzard once again after the latter reached out to the former.
The bad news about this rumored deal is that it won’t simply be a matter of turning the server lights on in China, as infrastructure that was maintained for Blizzard’s games in the country was torn down and has to be rebuilt – a process that could take half a year or more. Still, if reporting is confirmed, this is good news for Chinese gamers.
