* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    AMC brings first new Dolby Experience to Gwinnett since 2017 – Wyoming News Now

    AMC Launches First New Dolby Experience in Gwinnett Since 2017

    Hetzel Design: blending architecture and entertainment – Blooloop

    Hetzel Design: Where Architecture and Entertainment Unite in Perfect Harmony

    Country music legend rushed to hospital year after heart surgery. Here’s what we know – PennLive.com

    Country Music Legend Rushed to Hospital One Year After Heart Surgery – What’s Happening Now?

    Strictly Come Dancing results: Chris Robshaw is eliminated while drag queen La Voix escapes dance-off – Yahoo

    Strictly Come Dancing results: Chris Robshaw is eliminated while drag queen La Voix escapes dance-off – Yahoo

    Placer County town of Loomis considers entertainment zone for downtown – CBS News

    Loomis Unveils Thrilling New Entertainment Zone to Revitalize Downtown

    CT Culture Corner: Robert Redford films to watch – CT Insider

    CT Culture Corner: Robert Redford films to watch – CT Insider

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 Technology Stocks to Buy Now – Yahoo Finance

    3 Must-Buy Tech Stocks You Can’t Afford to Miss Right Now

    ‘New frontier’: Austin leaders start discussions on air taxi technology – KXAN Austin

    Austin Leaders Ignite Exciting Conversations on the Future of Air Taxi Technology

    How a Gemma model helped discover a new potential cancer therapy pathway – blog.google

    How a Gemma Model Revealed a Breakthrough Pathway for Cancer Treatment

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    AMC brings first new Dolby Experience to Gwinnett since 2017 – Wyoming News Now

    AMC Launches First New Dolby Experience in Gwinnett Since 2017

    Hetzel Design: blending architecture and entertainment – Blooloop

    Hetzel Design: Where Architecture and Entertainment Unite in Perfect Harmony

    Country music legend rushed to hospital year after heart surgery. Here’s what we know – PennLive.com

    Country Music Legend Rushed to Hospital One Year After Heart Surgery – What’s Happening Now?

    Strictly Come Dancing results: Chris Robshaw is eliminated while drag queen La Voix escapes dance-off – Yahoo

    Strictly Come Dancing results: Chris Robshaw is eliminated while drag queen La Voix escapes dance-off – Yahoo

    Placer County town of Loomis considers entertainment zone for downtown – CBS News

    Loomis Unveils Thrilling New Entertainment Zone to Revitalize Downtown

    CT Culture Corner: Robert Redford films to watch – CT Insider

    CT Culture Corner: Robert Redford films to watch – CT Insider

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 E Network Technology Group Limited Closes $1.5 Million Convertible Promissory Note Offering – Quiver Quantitative

    3 Technology Stocks to Buy Now – Yahoo Finance

    3 Must-Buy Tech Stocks You Can’t Afford to Miss Right Now

    ‘New frontier’: Austin leaders start discussions on air taxi technology – KXAN Austin

    Austin Leaders Ignite Exciting Conversations on the Future of Air Taxi Technology

    How a Gemma model helped discover a new potential cancer therapy pathway – blog.google

    How a Gemma Model Revealed a Breakthrough Pathway for Cancer Treatment

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Entertainment

Gaming Giant Blizzard Returns to China, Sparking Joy — and Some Anger

April 10, 2024
in Entertainment
Gaming Giant Blizzard Returns to China, Sparking Joy — and Some Anger
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The U.S.-based video game giant Blizzard Entertainment has announced that it will return to China after a one-year absence, sparking an outpouring of joy — and some grumbling — among Chinese gamers.

Blizzard Entertainment — the developer of massively popular video game series “World of Warcraft,” “Diablo,” and “Overwatch” — withdrew from China in January 2023 over a contract dispute with its Chinese partner, the tech giant NetEase.

But the U.S. studio — whose parent company Activision Blizzard was acquired by Microsoft for $68.7 billion last year — announced via a post on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo on Wednesday that it has “reached a new cooperation agreement with NetEase.”

The company added that its Chinese servers will begin operating again this summer, covering series including “World of Warcraft,” “Hearthstone,” “Overwatch,” “Diablo,” and “Starcraft.” In addition, NetEase Games and Microsoft have agreed to a deal to make new NetEase Games titles available on Xbox and other Microsoft platforms, according to the announcement.

The return of Blizzard has generated a huge reaction in China, with a related hashtag becoming the top trending topic on Weibo, garnering over 300 million views as of Wednesday afternoon.

Many gamers expressed delight at the company’s decision and the prospect of regaining access to its major titles. Before Blizzard exited China last year, “World of Warcraft” alone was estimated to have at least 3 million users in the country.

However, Blizzard may not find it easy to win back all of its fans. Many Chinese gamers remain frustrated by the company’s decision to leave in the first place, while others lost access to their Chinese accounts on which they had racked up thousands of hours of gameplay.

“Do you think it’s that easy to get me to play your games again?” read the highest upvoted comment under Blizzard’s announcement on Weibo.

Blizzard did not disclose the precise reasons behind its decision to leave China last year, stating only that it had been unable to reach an agreement that was “consistent with Blizzard’s operating principles and commitments to players and employees.”

Sources from NetEase told domestic media that the dispute centered on Blizzard’s demands for a higher share of the revenues from its titles in China. Under their 2019-2022 partnership agreement, the companies reportedly split net profits on Blizzard titles 50-50.

The breakdown of the deal ended up having a significant impact on Chinese gamers. In addition to effectively locking Chinese gamers out of their accounts, Blizzard also banned Chinese players from participating in “Hearthstone” competitions. The 2023 Asian Games, held in the eastern city of Hangzhou, was forced to cancel its “Hearthstone” esports competition as a result.

Many Chinese fans managed to continue playing Blizzard games via the company’s Japanese servers, but gamers told Sixth Tone it was a far from ideal experience. Even those who downloaded accelerators often experienced choppy connections.

Plus, any Chinese gamer migrating to a different server had to create a new account and essentially start over from scratch. Blizzard has promised that users will be able to regain access to their old Chinese accounts once its titles become available in China once more.

In reality, many expected that it was only a matter of time until Blizzard returned to China given that it is one of the company’s most important markets. In a 2021 earnings call, executives at Activision Blizzard named China among the firm’s largest overseas markets in terms of revenue.

In January, reports circulated that the American gaming giant was contemplating a return to China and was eyeing potential partners. Sun Jing, a Chinese gaming industry researcher, told Sixth Tone that she wasn’t surprised to see NetEase and Blizzard agree to renew their cooperation.

“The gaming industry is a harsh environment. User growth is not large, and their market share is shrinking slightly every year. Cooperating to open up the market was inevitable for both companies,” said Sun.

Blizzard likely had little choice but to continue with NetEase, Sun added. In China, overseas studios must partner with a domestic company to get their games licensed.

“Game companies have relatively fixed partners, and it would have been difficult for Blizzard to find a new partner,” said Sun.

Minutes after Blizzard’s Wednesday announcement, NetEase posted on the Chinese social app WeChat that it was hiring for a series of roles related to the “World of Warcraft,” “Overwatch,” and “Hearthstone” franchises, including designers, developers, and operations executives.

The Leihuo studio — NetEase’s first game studio, and famous for its user community — will be responsible for running the franchises, NetEase announced.

Chinese gamers are just hoping that the companies’ new deal proves to be more stable than the last one. Several described the messy breakup of the previous partnership as “tortuous.”

“We’ve been hearing about the dispute between the two companies for a long time — I just wish they could consider the players more,” said Wang Xiuping, a 24-year-old gamer who has accumulated more than 2,500 hours of playing time on “Overwatch.” “It’s tiring to play games amid such worries and concerns.”

(Header image: IC)

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : SixthTone – https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1014963/Gaming%20Giant%20Blizzard%20Returns%20to%20China,%20Sparking%20Joy%20%E2%80%94%20and%20Some%20Anger

Tags: entertainmentgaminggiant
Previous Post

The Importance of a Financial Plan

Next Post

‘I Go on 100 Blind Dates a Year. How Am I Still Single?’

Arizona AG sues to force House Speaker Johnson to seat Democrat Adelita Grijalva – NBC News

Arizona AG sues to force House Speaker Johnson to seat Democrat Adelita Grijalva – NBC News

October 22, 2025
Historic achievement: Governor Ferguson, Ecology celebrate nuclear waste officially being turned into glass at Hanford Site | Governor Bob Ferguson – Governor Ferguson (.gov)

Historic Breakthrough: Governor Ferguson and Ecology Celebrate Nuclear Waste Transformed into Glass at Hanford Site

October 22, 2025
Transcript: Mission to Mars — Bad science fiction – Financial Times

Mission to Mars: When Science Fiction Takes a Dark Turn

October 22, 2025
Science Hill, South Greene volleyball win TSSAA state tournament openers – WCYB

Science Hill and South Greene Dominate Opening Matches in TSSAA State Volleyball Tournament

October 22, 2025
GCC Influencer Market Jumps 75% As Lifestyle Creators Lead Growth – Net Influencer

GCC Influencer Market Soars 75% Fueled by Lifestyle Creators Leading the Boom

October 22, 2025
A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

October 22, 2025
Sports Extra: Fall Week 9 – KEYC News Now

Unforgettable Fall Week 9: Top Must-See Sports Moments

October 22, 2025
Jacobson earns program’s first medal at U23 World Championships – nmuwildcats.com

Jacobson Breaks New Ground with Program’s First Medal at U23 World Championships

October 22, 2025
AHLA: Hotels generate $7B for Denver economy – Hotel Management

Hotels Drive Denver’s Economy to Soar by $7 Billion

October 22, 2025
AMC brings first new Dolby Experience to Gwinnett since 2017 – Wyoming News Now

AMC Launches First New Dolby Experience in Gwinnett Since 2017

October 22, 2025

Categories

Archives

October 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (880)
  • Economy (901)
  • Entertainment (21,772)
  • General (17,736)
  • Health (9,942)
  • Lifestyle (914)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (902)
  • Politics (912)
  • Science (16,112)
  • Sports (21,401)
  • Technology (15,881)
  • World (884)

Recent News

Arizona AG sues to force House Speaker Johnson to seat Democrat Adelita Grijalva – NBC News

Arizona AG sues to force House Speaker Johnson to seat Democrat Adelita Grijalva – NBC News

October 22, 2025
Historic achievement: Governor Ferguson, Ecology celebrate nuclear waste officially being turned into glass at Hanford Site | Governor Bob Ferguson – Governor Ferguson (.gov)

Historic Breakthrough: Governor Ferguson and Ecology Celebrate Nuclear Waste Transformed into Glass at Hanford Site

October 22, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version