Recently, CNR (China National Radio) released an in-depth article titled 'The Story of the Blizzard-NetEase Breakup,' outlining the inside story of the partnership's demise. The report suggests that Blizzard's management, under pressure from performance-based 'betting agreements' (a common term for high-stakes corporate KPIs), demanded unreasonable terms during negotiations, including higher revenue shares and multi-hundred-million-dollar pre-payments.
The article reveals that with CEO Bobby Kotick facing an impending exit following the Microsoft acquisition, his decision-making process ignored long-term user interests. From his history of sidelining former CEO Mike Morhaime to turning Blizzard into a mere 'studio' under Activision, his leadership has long been criticized. Blizzard attempted to use media manipulation to pressure NetEase throughout the talks, playing games with contract extensions, which ultimately led to the fallout.
In retaliation for being 'backstabbed,' NetEase launched a series of aggressive public moves, including a livestream dismantling the Gorehowl statue at their campus and serving 'Green Tea' themed food in staff cafeterias—a common Chinese internet slang used to describe someone 'fake' or 'passive-aggressive.' Industry analysts suggest that due to Blizzard's deep-seated arrogance, such as barring Chinese players from Hearthstone tournaments, the brand has effectively forfeited its reputation in the Chinese market regardless of any future agency deals.
The community remains skeptical, with many users in the comments section calling this a 'reheated serving of old drama,' arguing that the real, deeper secrets remain hidden. Others jokingly remarked: 'No fresh tea here, just serving the same leftovers twice. Bring on part two already!'
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