The contract mess has players wondering if it will be possible to keep progress in Warcraft, Overwatch, and StarCraft.
Gaming giant Blizzard is about to end its games in China. Users of multiplayer productions such as World of Warcraft in China began to fear the future of their characters they developed by giving them long hours, days or even months, and the friendships they would lose.
Blizzard’s business is in trouble in China
Blizzard’s license agreement with NetEase, which they have partnered with since 2008 in China, will expire on January 23, 2023. Yesterday, Blizzard’s China operation issued a statement informing players that it was unable to renegotiate its agreement with NetEase and was seeking alternative partners, and that the Chinese company is not considering extending the existing contract.
There was also news in the company’s statement that it has created a function that allows players to download files that save their progress. Chinese players will be able to download their characters and their status in the game to their computers.
It’s unclear who might take on the role of running Blizard’s games in China after that, or when that will happen. If Microsoft manages to acquire Activision, Blizzard’s parent company, the software giant will be a strong candidate for this role. However, due to litigation and regulatory difficulties, the possibility of a rushed deal seems unlikely.