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By Staff
Blizzard games like World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Overwatch 2 might soon make a comeback in China, thanks to Blizzard reportedly teaming up again with NetEase.
The news comes from Core Esports, which suggests Blizzard's game services could be back by the end of March or the beginning of April.
After 14 years of partnership, Blizzard and NetEase hit a rough patch in 2022, leading to failed negotiations. Consequently, when the licensing agreement concluded on January 23, 2023, Blizzard's game services were suspended across mainland China.
For more details, you can check out the article in Chinese or find an English translation by Amy Chen on esports.gg.
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By Staff
Gamescom is back in August this year, and Blizzard have announced they will be present at the Xbox booth!
The event starts on August 21st and runs until the 25th, with War Within, the next WoW expansion, releasing a day after that (or right in the middle of the show on the 23rd for those with early access), so we might get some exciting news on it at the show. Then there's Vessel of Hatred, the new Diablo 4 expansion, as we should get some new info on it as well, with its October 8th release date also looming. The press release also mentions Diablo Immortal and Overwatch 2 will be involved.
Xbox also announced this year they will have their biggest booth at the event yet, with the Activision Blizzard merger certainly helping with that!
And here's the full press release.
gamescom
Blizzard Entertainment® is thrilled to confirm their presence at this year’s gamescom, returning to Cologne in celebration of two of their hottest launches of 2024: World of Warcraft®: The War Within™ and Diablo IV®: Vessel of Hatred™.
This year’s show promises to bring even more excitement, as Blizzard Entertainment will have a robust footprint alongside other Xbox Game Studios in the Xbox booth, as they come together to celebrate upcoming games and connect with the community in Europe and around the world.
“We are incredibly excited to bring Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch to our European community at gamescom,” said Johanna Faries, President of Blizzard Entertainment. “It’s wonderful to be able to travel to Cologne alongside some of our talented developers so that we can gather with players and celebrate the special connections that continue to be forged within our universes together.”
World of Warcraft will be celebrating the launch of The War Within, the first entry in the ambitious Worldsoul Saga. With the global launch set for August 26 - one day after gamescom - it’s the perfect opportunity for the community to celebrate together. Players with the Epic Edition or physical Collector’s Edition of The War Within can play when early access goes live on August 23rd.
Diablo will also be in full force at the event, bringing the world of Sanctuary to gamescom with Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred and Diablo Immortal.
Overwatch 2 will have a joint stand with Porsche, highlighting their new collaboration featuring a life-sized D.Va statue modeled after the new all-electric Macan and inviting fans to enter a real-life rendition of an iconic Overwatch 2 map. -
By Staff
Some great news for Chinese players, as Blizzard have signed a new agreement with NetEase, and players will be returning to their games as early as summer 2024!
Most Blizzard games were suspended in January of 2023, with players losing access to their characters and being unable to play World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Warcraft III: Reforged, Overwatch, the StarCraft series, Diablo III, and Heroes of the Storm, due to an expired licensing agreement. Luckily, a new deal has now been made!
A lot of WoW players decided to re-roll brand new characters on Taiwanese and Korean servers after the old deal stopped. Their old character data is saved, however, but it will be from back before patch 10.1, so it's going to be a tough decision on how to proceed for them. Perhaps Blizzard can come up with a solution to merge the accounts?
Here's the full press release:
(Source)
BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT AND NETEASE RENEW AGREEMENT TO BRING BELOVED TITLES BACK TO CHINA; MICROSOFT GAMING, NETEASE ENTER BROADER COLLABORATION
Blizzard titles to return to mainland China beginning summer 2024
Microsoft Gaming and NetEase deepen their relationship, with a strategic partnership based on their shared desire to bring new gaming experiences to players across platforms and markets
IRVINE, Calif., REDMOND, Wash., AND HANGZHOU, Zhejiang [April 9 PT, April 10 CT] / -- Beloved video game titles from Blizzard Entertainment that captivated millions of players in China will return to the market sequentially, beginning this summer, under a renewed publishing deal Blizzard Entertainment, Microsoft Gaming, and NetEase (NASDAQ: NTES and HKEX: 9999) announced today.
After continuing discussions over the past year, both Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase are thrilled to align on a path forward to once again support players in mainland China and are proud to reaffirm their commitment to delivering exceptional gaming experiences.
The renewed publishing agreement will encompass games Chinese players had access to under the previous agreement: World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, and other titles in the Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft® universes. Building upon more than 15 years of past collaboration, Blizzard and NetEase are working diligently on relaunch plans, with further details to be shared at a later date.
Separately, Microsoft Gaming and NetEase have also entered into an agreement to explore bringing new NetEase titles to Xbox consoles and other platforms.
“We at Blizzard are thrilled to reestablish our partnership with NetEase and to work together, with deep appreciation for the collaboration between our teams, to deliver legendary gaming experiences to players in China,” said Johanna Faries, President of Blizzard Entertainment. “We are immensely grateful for the passion the Chinese community has shown for Blizzard games throughout the years, and we are focused on bringing our universes back to players with excellence and dedication.”
“Celebrating our collaborations, we are thrilled to embark on the next chapter, built on trust and mutual respect, to serve our users in this unique community that we’ve built together.” said William Ding, Chief Executive Officer and Director, NetEase. “Our commitment to providing more exhilarating and creative entertainment experience remains unwavering, and we are excited to see positive synergies fostered to encourage and empower collaborations to bring the joy of gaming to a broad community.”
“Blizzard and NetEase have done incredible work to renew our commitment to players – Blizzard’s universes have been part of players’ lives in the region for many years. Returning Blizzard’s legendary games to players in China while exploring ways to bring more new titles to Xbox demonstrates our commitment to bringing more games to more players around the world,” said Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (NASDAQ “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
About NetEase, Inc.
NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES and HKEX: 9999, "NetEase") is a leading internet and game services provider centered around premium content. With extensive offerings across its expanding gaming ecosystem, the Company develops and operates some of the most popular and longest running mobile and PC games available in China and globally.
Powered by one of the largest in-house game R&D teams focused on mobile, PC and console, NetEase creates superior gaming experiences, inspires players, and passionately delivers value for its thriving community worldwide. By infusing play with culture, and education with technology, NetEase transforms gaming into a meaningful vehicle to build a more entertaining and enlightened world.
Beyond games, NetEase service offerings include its majority-controlled subsidiaries Youdao (NYSE: DAO), an intelligent learning company with industry-leading technology, and Cloud Music (HKEX: 9899), a well-known online music platform featuring a vibrant content community, as well as Yanxuan, NetEase's private label consumer lifestyle brand. For more information, please visit: http://ir.netease.com/.
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By Staff
According to WSJ, Bobby Kotick, former CEO of Activision Blizzard, has floated the idea of buying TikTok to potential partners.
Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has reportedly shown interest in purchasing TikTok, as legislation in the U.S. threatens to ban or force the sale of the popular app over national security concerns.
Kotick is said to be seeking partners for the potential acquisition, discussing the opportunity with notable figures including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The move comes amid growing scrutiny over TikTok's data privacy practices and its ties to China, with U.S. lawmakers pushing for decisive action.
You can read the whole news piece over at WSJ.
Bobby Kotick left his position at Activision Blizzard in December 2023 after Microsoft finalized its purchase of the company. Post-acquisition, he reportedly received over $375 million, as detailed by Forbes.
Source: WSJ
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By Stan
With Johanna Faires recently taking on the role of the new President at Blizzard, let's delve into the history of Blizzard Presidents from 1991 up to the present.
Allen Adham served as President from 1991 to 1998. Mike Morhaime held the position of President and CEO from 1998 to 2018. J. Allen Brack assumed the role of President between 2018 and 2021. In 2021, Jen O'neal was named Co-Leader of Blizzard alongside Mike Ybarra. However, she chose to leave the company after just three months. Following her departure, Mike Ybarra took over as President until a few weeks ago when he also announced his departure from the company on January 25, 2024. Johanna Faires was appointed as Blizzard's President on January 29, 2024.
We've come across a Reddit post where someone alleges to have worked at Blizzard during Mike Morhaime's tenure as President, continuing through Ybarra's leadership. We can't vouch for the accuracy of their statement, but here's what they had to share with the community.
Source: Reddit
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