Foreign Investors Pour $18.65 Billion into Japanese Stocks Amid Market Stabilization 
Samsung Electronics Posts Eightfold Profit Surge Driven by AI Chip Demand 
U.S.-China Trade Talks: Trump and Xi Set for Summit Amid Rare Earths Focus 
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Posts Strong Q3 Earnings, Announces AI-Driven Job Cuts 
Deere & Company Agrees to $99 Million Settlement Over Right-to-Repair Dispute 
TSMC Posts Strong Q1 2025 Revenue, Riding AI Chip Demand Wave 
Alibaba Shares Slide as Jefferies Slashes Price Target Over AI Spending and Business Losses 
Oil Prices Rise Amid Strait of Hormuz Tensions and U.S.-Iran Talks 
Lumentum Holdings Rides AI Wave With Order Book Filled Through 2028 
Abbott Laboratories Ordered to Pay $53 Million in Premature Infant Formula Lawsuit 
U.S. Inflation Surges in March as Iran War and Tariffs Drive Prices Higher 
China Vanke Seeks Bond Extension Amid Mounting Debt Crisis 
Bank of Japan Governor Signals Accommodative Stance Amid Negative Real Rates 
Pilots Fear Retaliation for Refusing Middle East Flights Amid Ongoing Conflict 
FedEx Pilots and Union Reach Tentative Agreement on 40% Pay Increase 
Gold Surges Near 3-Week High as Trump-Iran Ceasefire Eases Geopolitical Tensions 
Japan Consumer Confidence Drops Sharply Amid Rising Fuel Costs and Middle East Tensions 
Activision Blizzard and NetEase were not able to renew their licensing deal, and this means some of the popular game titles will no longer be available in China. With the non-renewal of the contract, the companies effectively ended their 14-year agreement.
According to CNBC, Activision Blizzard and NetEase first signed a deal in August 2008, and it is set to expire in January 2023. The companies failed to agree on terms thus, their business partnership ended.
As a result, some hugely popular games are shutting down in China, including the well-liked massively multiplayer online role-playing game, “World of Warcraft”, and “Overwatch.” Five of Activision Blizzard’s video game titles will vanish as soon as NetEase’s license to operate them in the country expires.
Players will no longer be able to access the games since the Chinese government requires that games must have licenses and a local publisher to operate. But there is still a bit of hope for the Chinese players as Activision Blizzard said that it is looking for a way to continue by seeking alternatives.
While waiting for a new deal or local partner, the sales of Activision Blizzard’s games will stop in the next few days. Then again, the company admitted that securing a new license and publisher may take a long time.
BBC News mentioned that in addition to “Overwatch” and “World of Warcraft,” the other games that will be pulled out and will no longer be accessible online in China are “Diablo 3,” “Starcraft,” “Hearthstone,” and “Heroes of the Storm.”
“We are honored to have had the privilege of serving our gamers over the past 14 years and have shared many precious moments with them during that time,” NetEase’s chief executive officer, William Ding, said in a statement. “We will continue our promise to serve our players well until the last minute. We will make sure our players’ data and assets are well protected in all of our games.”
