The feud between NetEase and Activision Blizzard, which lasted for 14 years, has finally come to an end. The two companies have put aside their differences in order to bring back popular games such as World of Warcraft to the Chinese market this summer. Last year, the companies ended their partnership due to disagreements over intellectual property control, leading to an outcry among Chinese internet users who feared losing access to their favorite games.
All games in China require a local publisher and licenses from the government to operate. NetEase is the second-largest video games company in the country, trailing behind Tencent. Microsoft and NetEase have also announced plans to explore bringing new NetEase titles to Microsoft’s Xbox gaming consoles and other platforms. Despite the lucrative nature of the gaming sector in China, it has faced frequent challenges from the authorities. In 2021, the government imposed restrictions on online gaming for minors, limiting playtime to one hour on Fridays, weekends, and holidays. Last year, further restrictions were announced to control in-game purchases, but China has since eased some of these rules in response to concerns about “obsessive” gaming.
NetEase is a Chinese multinational internet technology company that operates a variety of services including online games, music streaming and e-commerce platforms. Activision Blizzard is an American multinational video game developer and publisher headquartered in Santa Monica, California. The two companies had been partners for many years before ending their relationship last year due to disagreements over intellectual property control which led them both file lawsuits against each other but now they have put aside their differences for bringing back popular games like Hearthstone, Warcraft, Overwatch
