Simon Zhu, president of NetEase Games, posted to their LinkedIn saying, 'One day, when what has happened behind the scene could be told, developers and gamers will have a whole new level understanding of how much damage a jerk can make. Outside of the official statements, the situation is even less positive. We hold high regard in our product and operational standards and abide by our commitments to Chinese players.' However, there were material differences on key terms and we could not reach an agreement. On this subject, Ding said, 'We have put in a great deal of effort and tried with our utmost sincerity to negotiate with Activision Blizzard so that we could continue our collaboration and serve the many dedicated players in China. The official press releases don't indicate why the deal isn't being renewed, however. Their enthusiasm and creativity inspire us, and we are looking for alternatives to bring our games back to players in the future.'

On the Activision Blizzard side of the matter, Blizzard Entertainment president Mike Ybarra has hinted that this may not be the permanent end of Blizzard games in China, 'We’re immensely grateful for the passion our Chinese community has shown throughout the nearly 20 years we’ve been bringing our games to China through NetEase and other partners.

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