Blizzard’s World Of Warcraft’s End Brings Sadness To Chinese Gamers

(CTN NEWS) – BEIJING – Chinese users of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game “World of Warcraft” said a tearful farewell to Azeroth on Monday (Jan 23).

As the game was scheduled to be taken down due to a disagreement between US developer Blizzard and local partner NetEase.

“Universe of Warcraft,” also called “WoW,” is an online multiplayer role-playing game set in a fantasy-medieval world where good fights evil. It has gained enormous popularity throughout the world, especially in the 2000s.

Players can log hundreds of hours playing because of its captivating and addictive gameplay.

Since 2008, Blizzard has made its games accessible in China thanks to a partnership with Internet behemoth NetEase. According to local law, foreign game makers must work with Chinese companies to reach the market.

However, after 14 years and millions of gamers in China, the two companies declared in November that negotiations to extend their operating contract had been unsuccessful.

WoW’s Chinese servers will shut down on Tuesday at midnight local time (1600 GMT).

The same will happen to popular games from the largest gaming company in the world, based in California, such as “Overwatch,” “Diablo III,” and “Hearthstone.”

One Weibo user posted, “It’s the end,” along with sobbing emojis. “It wasn’t simply for fun. It also included a generation’s worth of recollections of “Chinese youth,” another author wrote.

Wu, a Ph.D. student and ardent supporter who is 30 years old, told AFP that “the two businesses have taken players hostage.”

Blizzard China claimed last week that NetEase had turned down its request for an extraordinary six-month contract extension.

Late last year, NetEase president Simon Zhu said on LinkedIn, “Developers and gamers will have a whole new level of knowledge of how much damage a jerk can cause when what has transpired behind the scenes may be communicated.”

READ MORE: China’s NetEase Rejects Activision Blizzard Game Distribution Deal

To continue offering its games in China, Blizzard has stated that it was in “discussions” with “many potential partners who share our principles.”

According to Blizzard China, the shutdown of its Chinese servers is only a “brief unhappy suspension” rather than “the end.”

According to the American company, user data may be retained if and when the games are released in China.

Doctoral student Wu, who claimed to play World of Warcraft for up to three hours daily, saw the situation’s positive side.

“My wife didn’t get enough time from me. I want to make amends now that “World of Warcraft” is no more, “said he.

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