Activision Blizzard has claimed that NetEase has declined their offer to extend their partnership and publishing deal in China. They have had a 14-year partnership with NetEase up until now.

According to Reuters, Blizzard is now looking for a new partner for its China operations. What this means is that seven Blizzard titles, including Overwatch 2, World Of Warcraft and Hearthstone, will go offline in China starting from 23 January 2023.

In the new statement posted on Weibo, Blizzard said:

“It is a pity that NetEase is not willing to extend services of our game for another six months on the basis of existing terms as we look for a new partner.”

NetEase is one of China’s biggest game companies and publishers. Why does Blizzard need NetEase or a Chinese publisher, for that matter? That is because foreign companies require a Chinese partner in order to do business in the country and this includes the games industry, of course.

Stay tuned for more updates on this matter in the future. For now, Blizzard games will become unplayable in China starting from next week.