Financial News Claims NetEase-Blizzard Reunion Is on the Table — NGA Players Aren't Buying It: 'Stock Price Manipulation, Much?'

Are NetEase and Blizzard getting back together? On Christmas Day 2023, a report claiming NetEase might re-assume publishing rights for Blizzard's entire game portfolio in China exploded across Chinese gaming communities. But NGA users' first reaction wasn't excitement — it was a collective raised eyebrow.

According to the original post and cited screenshots, Chinese financial outlet Caijing Lianshe (财联社) forwarded a report claiming 'multiple independent sources' confirmed that NetEase and Blizzard were in renewed talks. However, as of publication, Blizzard had made zero response whatsoever. The OP's take was blunt: 'Here's hoping NetEase didn't lose the player save data, otherwise the memes will be glorious' — implying that even if the servers come back, whether your years of progress survived is anyone's guess.

The biggest red flag? The sources. The first reply fired back: 'What a clickbait title — as of writing, the other side hasn't even responded.' Reply #7 went harder: 'Are these "independent sources" those American fake news outlets?' And reply #11 did actual detective work, tracing the original claim back to 36Kr (36氪) and pointing out that the 'multiple independent sources' line came from them — not exactly a pillar of gaming journalism — complete with screenshot evidence.

The community's hostility toward the reunion itself was palpable. Reply #3 screamed: 'Can you NOT come back? F*** Blizzard, just die already.' Reply #8 dropped the classic 'Desperate much?' meme. Reply #16 unloaded with some extremely colorful language about NetEase's dignity if they went crawling back. To be fair, a few cooler heads prevailed — reply #18 offered a more nuanced take: 'It's probably not that deep. NetEase would just negotiate better terms this time and actually squeeze value out of Blizzard for once.'

Reply #6 might have won the thread with one line: 'They already signed the cremation certificate — what's the point of coming back to life now?' This perfectly captures the mood. When NetEase and Blizzard split, NetEase literally held a mock funeral ceremony for the partnership, complete with in-game memorial events. Now suddenly they're supposed to kiss and make up? Reply #12 responded by posting the obligatory classic meme image to convey the community's collective facepalm.

Beyond questioning the rumor itself, many users smelled something fishy in the financial markets. Reply #17 stated plainly: 'Real talk — this is probably just stock price manipulation.' Reply #19 connected the dots with devastating precision: 'What a coincidence on timing, huh? My guess is someone saw how badly A-shares tanked today, got spooked about the Hong Kong market reopening after the holiday, and decided to drop some "bullish news" to prop things up.' The timing is indeed suspicious: dropping a bombshell like this on Christmas Day, right before the HKEX reopens?

Reply #5 pushed back, arguing 'Caijing Lianshe is actually pretty reliable,' but other users quickly countered with their own screenshots. Reply #13 offered a sardonic suggestion: 'If NetEase actually goes back to Blizzard, the NGA Qingfeng Village (晴风村, the drama/gossip subforum) should pin a permanent seat of honor for them' — implying NetEase would deserve a spot on the community's permanent wall of shame.

As of now, neither Blizzard nor NetEase has issued any official statement on the rumor. Whether the report turns out to be true or not, NGA's reaction already tells the real story: after last year's spectacular breakup, players have gone from hopeful to exhausted and outright mocking about this potential 'ex-couple reunion.' Copium supplies have officially run dry.