NetEase Is in Talks with Blizzard, Return of Chinese Server May Be Officially Announced on April 10th
On April 9th, rumors of NetEase and Blizzard discussing their return to the mainland market resurfaced. According to blogger ‘差评君’, it is rumored that Blizzard’s return will be officially announced within this week, with reports indicating smooth progress on NetEase‘s side. A photo of a meeting between Ding Lei from NetEase and the new CEO of Blizzard was also posted. The hashtag #BlizzardReturn# trended on Weibo.
And according to Sina Technology, NetEase has stated that ‘The return of Blizzard’s national service will definitely be officially announced on April 10th, but this announcement is mainly handled by NetEase‘s Thunder Fire Business Group with extremely high confidentiality.’
Starting from 0:00 on January 24, 2023, all Blizzard games in the Chinese server will officially cease operation. It was reported at the end of last December that Blizzard and NetEase are about to reconcile. Informed sources revealed that the new cooperation method for the Chinese server is still being confirmed, and it will not be launched in the short term.
In March this year, according to the gaming media ‘Coreesports’, NetEase will officially announce the return of Blizzard’s game national service at the end of March or early April. This national service operation will be managed by NetEase Hu Yu Guangzhou and marketed by Thunder Fire, which is consistent with what former NetEase Blizzard head Zhang Dong said.
SEE ALSO: NetEase Will Officially Announce the Return of Blizzard Games to China Within A Month