Microsoft enters agreement to explore bringing new NetEase games to Xbox

Microsoft Gaming and NetEase have entered into an agreement to explore bringing new NetEase games to Xbox consoles and other platforms.

The agreement between the Xbox maker and the Chinese gaming giant was announced alongside the news that Blizzard’s titles will be made available again in China.

Activision Blizzard, which had held licensing agreements with NetEase since 2008, pulled its games from the Chinese market last January.

But following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard last year, the companies have struck a renewed publishing deal that will the Warcraft studio’s games return to the Chinese market sequentially, starting this summer.

The deal covers games Chinese players previously had access to including World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and other titles in the Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo and StarCraft franchises.

“Returning Blizzard’s legendary games to players in China while exploring ways to bring more new titles to Xbox demonstrates our commitment to bringing more games to more players around the world,” said Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer.

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Over the last few years, NetEase has established a significant number of game development studios in the west.

These include BulletFarm, which is headed by veteran Call of Duty: Black Ops designer David Vonderhaar, and Worlds Untold, which is led by former Mass Effect lead writer Mac Walters.