NetEase Staff Destroy World of Warcraft Statue in Protest of Ongoing Drama with Activision Blizzard

[Peter_Brosdahl]

The World of Warcraft publisher announced in November 2022 that it would be pulling most of its titles from NetEase in January 2023, and as if to pour salt over the wound it made an offer that NetEase was all too happy to refuse.

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[Grimlakin]

I guess blizzard just pulls a FAFO maneuver and lost.

 

[Uvilla]

Well what a strange saga, and strange choices by blizzard. I'd imagine the Chinese market aint that important, if you are willing to do things like this, like an idiot. Normal businesses would look and discuss for bids and such, like adults, equal bids. Then again naybe net ease totally toxic and expensive or something, but even then, normal thing to do is to quietly look for an exit.

 

[Brian_B]

Well what a strange saga, and strange choices by blizzard. I'd imagine the Chinese market aint that important, if you are willing to do things like this, like an idiot. Normal businesses would look and discuss for bids and such, like adults, equal bids. Then again naybe net ease totally toxic and expensive or something, but even then, normal thing to do is to quietly look for an exit.

I agree - the Chinese gaming market is ~huge~, so I can’t imagine Bliz just walking away from it.

But apparently they are

My guess is one of three things:

1) Netease jacked up the price to something unsustainable and Bliz couldn’t find any other CCP-approved partners

2) “Other” CCP involvement that Bliz just didn’t want any part of

3) something to do with the pending MS buyout