NetEase Issues Farewell Letter to Blizzard Players: A Rare Moment of Community Solidarity

With the news of the end of the partnership between Blizzard and NetEase now set in stone, NetEase has issued an official farewell letter to players, confirming the cessation of operations for Blizzard games in mainland China. The letter, released through official channels, outlines the follow-up procedures regarding the service shutdown.

Interestingly, the letter triggered a rare consensus within the NGA gaming community. For a long time, NetEase has been associated with a 'tea-drinking' attitude—a slang term describing their PR statements as being snarky, passive-aggressive, or condescending—and 'going crazy,' which refers to their inconsistent and often volatile public relations tone. This farewell letter, however, was surprisingly 'normal' and sincere, leading many players to comment that NetEase had fulfilled its duty to the best of its ability.

In the comments section, many players moved away from their usual criticism of NetEase and expressed rare support for the company. Players generally agreed that during the long-term agency partnership, NetEase showed professionalism and dedication in areas ranging from localization and esports management to maintaining version parity. By contrast, the recent decision-making by Blizzard's senior management was widely condemned by players as shortsighted and foolish.

The community also engaged in heated discussions regarding the 'core interests' mentioned in the letter, with user data security being the primary concern for Chinese players. Furthermore, veteran players speculated whether NetEase might be keeping a door open for future negotiations once Microsoft fully acquires Blizzard, while others lamented that many of the staff at NetEase who worked on these games likely did so out of genuine passion, demonstrating sincere attachment to the titles.