the NetEase Team who were responsible for managing Blizzard games In China, such as World of Warcraft, Overwatch 2 and Diablo 3, They are disbanded. An inevitable move unfortunately, given that in a few days Irvine shares will no longer be active in Chinese territory.
For starters, Blizzard announced in November that it would suspend most of its games in China due to the licensing agreement it signed with NetEase 14 years ago. Starting November 23, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Warcraft III: Reforged, and Overwatch 2 will no longer be available in China. Diablo Immortal would be an exception, as it is covered by a separate license agreement, and will therefore remain in operation.
As reported in the pages of the South China Morning Post, the NetEase teams running Blizzard games in China have been gradually dissolving since November, by which time it became clear that the two companies would not be able to agree to a contract license extension.
To date, most employees have been laid off or reassigned to other departments in the company. Only a thin skeleton remains Ten employees who would take care of customer and technical support for Blizzard’s titles, specifically in light of issues that might arise with the closure of Irvine’s games in China. It is also expected that these employees will be transferred to other divisions of NetEase within six months.
