Simon Zhu, President of NetEase, has some strong words for Activision. To be more specific, one person at Activision in particular.
The agreement between Blizzard and NetEase that allows games like World of Warcraft to release in China is coming to an end. After January 23rd, games like Diablo Immortal, Overwatch 2, Hearthstone, and others will no longer be available in mainland China. Blizzard is already taking steps to suspend sales of games, including Dragonflight, the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion.
Many Blizzard fans in China aren’t too pleased with the news. One such fan is Simon Zhu, who commented on the matter through his LinkedIn page:
“As a gamer who spent ten thousand hours in the world of Azeroth, starcraft and overwatch, I feel so heartbroken as I will no longer have the access to my account and memories next year.
One day, when what has happened behind the scene could be told, developers and gamers will have a whole new level understanding of how much damage a jerk can make.
Feel terrible for players who lived in those worlds.”
It’s Most Likely No Surprise Who the Netease President Is Referring To
There’s a strong chance that Zhu is referencing Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. In addition to dealing with multiple sexual harassment lawsuits at Activision Blizzard, Kotick reportedly tried to purchase either Kotaku or PC Gamer. The reason? To change the narrative about him:
“Mr. Kotick has been eager to change the public narrative about the company, and in recent weeks has suggested Activision Blizzard make some kind of acquisition, including of gaming-trade publications like Kotaku and PC Gamer, according to people familiar with him.”
The NetEase President isn’t the only person unhappy with Kotick. A small group of shareholders tried to get him fired last year.
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced its intention to purchase Activision Blizzard for $70 billion. The deal is expected to be approved in the third quarter of 2023, several months after the Blizzard and NetEase agreement expires. It is unclear how Microsoft’s acquisition will affect Blizzard games in mainland China.
