‘World of Warcraft' and other hit games return to China as Blizzard and NetEase end dispute

CNN — China’s gaming giant NetEase plans to bring back popular video games developed by Microsoft’s Blizzard Entertainment to the country. The two companies ended their 15-year partnership in 2023, leaving Chinese fans disappointed. After a year of negotiations, the companies have now reached an agreement to reintroduce games like “World of Warcraft” and “Hearthstone” to China. The deal also includes titles from the Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft series. The games will gradually return to the Chinese market starting this summer. NetEase has also partnered with Microsoft Gaming to explore bringing new titles to Xbox consoles.