Overwatch 2 Shutdown in China Leaves Chinese Teams in Limbo

After a contract extension with NetEase failed, Overwatch 2 and other Blizzard titles have been officially taken offline in China. This has left the Overwatch League teams based in China in uncertainty as the game is no longer playable in the country.

Overwatch 2 has been shut down in mainland China.

— Chengdu Hunters (@ChengduHunters) January 23, 2023

The shutdown of Blizzard games in China, including Overwatch 2, has left fans and teams in uncertainty. The Chengdu Hunters, Guangzhou Charge, Hangzhou Spark, Shanghai Dragons and the Los Angeles Valiant, whose base of operations is still in China, are among the five teams impacted by the shutdown.

The suspension of the games was announced in November after the failure of Blizzard and NetEase to renew their licensing agreement, which took effect on January 23rd.

According to Sean Miller, head of the Overwatch League, the league is working hard behind the scenes to iron out details and is hoping to share more information with the community in the next couple of weeks. He stated in an article by Dot Esports, “We can’t wait for the 2023 season to start and are looking forward to OWL’s sixth season where we expect a full slate of teams from the East and West.”