Warcraft Returns to China as Blizzard and NetEase Settle Spat

(Bloomberg) — NetEase Inc. reached a new agreement to distribute games in China for Microsoft Corp.’s Blizzard Entertainment, salvaging a 15-year relationship and reviving titles like World of Warcraft for the world’s biggest gaming market.

With the deal, famed franchises like StarCraft, Diablo, Hearthstone and Overwatch will once again be live for players in China. The Hangzhou-based publishing giant and Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard subsidiary halted a longtime partnership in January of last year after failing to agree on an extension, causing a 15% plunge in NetEase shares in Hong Kong.