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NetEase Inc. reached a new agreement to distribute games in China for Microsoft Corp.\u2019s Blizzard Entertainment, salvaging a 15-year relationship and reviving titles like\u00a0World of Warcraft\u00a0<\/em>for the world\u2019s biggest gaming market.<\/p>\n With the deal, famed franchises like\u00a0StarCraft<\/em>,\u00a0Diablo<\/em>,\u00a0Hearthstone<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Overwatch<\/em>\u00a0will once again be live for players in China. The Hangzhou-based publishing giant and Microsoft\u2019s Activision Blizzard subsidiary halted a longtime partnership in January of last year after failing to agree on an extension, causing a\u00a015% plunge<\/a>\u00a0in NetEase shares in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n Separately, Microsoft\u2019s gaming division and NetEase have agreed to explore bringing new NetEase titles to Xbox consoles and other platforms, the companies said in a statement.<\/p>\n NetEase shares gained as much as 2.4% in Hong Kong on Wednesday, after rising 4.1% a day earlier on speculation about the return of Blizzard\u2019s games.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are thrilled to embark on the next chapter, built on trust and mutual respect, to serve our users in this unique community that we\u2019ve built together,\u201d NetEase Chief Executive Officer William Ding said in the statement. The expiration of the previous deal descended into\u00a0acrimony<\/a>\u00a0when the two sides alleged bad-faith negotiations for a renewal of the terms.<\/p>\n Blizzard\u00a0suspended<\/a>\u00a0most online game services and sales in mainland China when the prior pact expired more than a year ago, cutting off a lucrative collaboration for both parties. Its major release in June 2023\u2014Diablo IV<\/em>, which got off to a\u00a0hot start<\/a>\u00a0internationally\u2014hasn\u2019t been officially available in China. The companies now say Blizzard games \u201cwill return to the market sequentially\u201d starting in the summer, with further details to be provided at a later date.<\/p>\n In a letter to Chinese players on Weibo, the two companies said they need time to restart services and solve technical issues including restructuring server rooms and restoring various type of data. Account progress will be preserved when the servers are available, they said.<\/p>\n When the servers were shut last January, NetEase\u00a0smashed to pieces<\/a>\u00a0the giant statue of\u00a0World of Warcraft<\/em>\u2019s legendary Gorehowl axe in its Hangzhou campus, and live-streamed the demolition. Now, the two companies are building a new sculpture of the weapon symbolizing their partnership and have promised fans they\u2019ll work closely together.\u00a0<\/p>\n Activision Blizzard was acquired in October by Microsoft in a $69 billion deal that set a record for takeovers in the video-game industry. The combined entity ranks No. 3 among global games publishers, behind\u00a0Tencent Holdings Ltd.<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Sony Group Corp.<\/a>, and was expected to seek a rapprochement with NetEase.<\/p>\n First signed in 2008 and renewed in 2019, the NetEase-Blizzard distribution accord has benefited both companies, feeding NetEase with globally recognized hits and giving its U.S. partner a gateway into the world\u2019s biggest PC and mobile gaming arena.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n