NetEase and Blizzard Reunite: The Chinese version of "World of Warcraft" is about to retur
After experiencing a dispute with Blizzard, NetEase seems to be re-cooperating with the American gaming giant to jointly launch a Chinese version of "World of Warcraft". According to reports from the Financial Associated Press, Blizzard negotiated with a number of domestic game manufacturers on the "return of the national server" and finally chose to cooperate with NetEase. This news surprised many players and industry insiders. After all, the two parties had a breakdown in cooperation a year ago, which led to the closure of the national server.
25 December 2023
Regarding this sudden change, Blizzard China said, "We currently have no information or updates to share." NetEase has not yet made any response to the cooperation matter. Some analysts believe that the two parties may still be negotiating on specific cooperation details, and it may take half a year or more to re-launch the game because it requires re-building the operation team and testing the server.
In the past few months, domestic game companies such as Tencent and NetEase have had rumors of cooperation with Blizzard, but there has been no substantial progress. The combination of NetEase and Blizzard undoubtedly brings a glimmer of hope to players who are looking forward to the return of the Chinese server. However, some players have expressed doubts about Blizzard's attitude, believing that it is "coaxing and deceiving while forcing Chinese companies", and are worried whether the game company will backstab players and partners again.
In any case, for Activision Blizzard and its classic IP, the longer it leaves the Chinese market, the harder it will be to return. An industry insider pointed out in the video, "For Warcraft players, this is a belated affection, but it is no longer the original Blizzard." He mentioned that Blizzard has made some decisions in the past few years, such as withdrawing from the league. and backstab partners have caused the company to lose the trust of many players.
Despite this, as a game with a huge player base and rich cultural heritage, the return of the Chinese version of "World of Warcraft" has still attracted widespread attention. For those players who have been waiting for a long time, this may be a good opportunity to re-experience the game world. However, for Blizzard and NetEase, how to rebuild player trust and ensure the long-term stable operation of the game will be the challenge they face.