Blizzard’s 14 yr relationship with Chinese writer NetEase will come to an finish on January twenty third, at which era World Of Warcraft will go offline for hundreds of thousands of Chinese gamers. As the date approaches, NetEase have livestreamed workers dismantling an enormous WoW axe statue at their workplaces with hammers, and referred to as Blizzard’s actions “brash, unseemly and commercially illogical.”
You can watch a clip of the dismantling under. WoWHead report that the drinks served on the finish of the video have been inexperienced tea, a reference to a Chinese insult for an individual who seems harmless however is in actuality manipulative.
In current days, Blizzard China launched a press release saying that that they had provided a six-month contract extension to NetEase, however that the Chinese writer had refused. Today, NetEase issued a response of their very own through Chinese social media site WeChat
“For unknowable causes, final week Blizzard re-sought NetEase with a suggestion of a so-called six-month extension of the game service and different situations, and made it clear that it might not cease persevering with negotiations with different potential companions through the contract extension,” reads the assertion. “And so far as we all know, Blizzard’s negotiations with different corporations throughout the identical interval have been all primarily based on a three-year contract interval. Considering the non-reciprocity, unfairness and different situations hooked up to the cooperation, due to this fact, the events couldn’t attain an settlement ultimately.
“In our view, Blizzard’s proposal – together with at the moment’s shock announcement – is brash, unseemly and commercially illogical. Its overconfidence doesn’t take note of the place gamers and NetEase have been positioned by this sort of demand all the things, Riding a mule whereas searching for a horse, and divorce however nonetheless attempt to reside collectively conduct.”
The assertion additionally disputes media stories that NetEase needed to manage the World Of Warcraft IP, saying that they’ve “used and licensed any Blizzard IP in accordance with the phrases of the contract.” They additionally stated that they had not been concerned with the event or testing of a brand new “game progress archive function”, which goals to permit gamers WoW gamers in China to financial institution their progress for future restoration ought to Blizzard discover a new Chinese writer in future. “If this function causes lack of digital property or lack of ability to play, Blizzard shall bear full duty.”
This is not the primary fiery response NetEase have made publicly to their break-up with Blizzard. When the parting of how was introduced – which additionally impacts Overwatch 2 and HearthStone gamers – NetEase president Simon Zhu posted on LinkedIn that the breakdown in negotiations was the blame of an unnamed “jerk”.