Uber Ordered to Pay $8.5 Million in Bellwether Sexual Assault Lawsuit 
Rio Tinto Shares Hit Record High After Ending Glencore Merger Talks 
U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains 
FDA Targets Hims & Hers Over $49 Weight-Loss Pill, Raising Legal and Safety Concerns 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
Gold and Silver Prices Climb in Asian Trade as Markets Eye Key U.S. Economic Data 
Washington Post Publisher Will Lewis Steps Down After Layoffs 
Indian Refiners Scale Back Russian Oil Imports as U.S.-India Trade Deal Advances 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
OpenAI Expands Enterprise AI Strategy With Major Hiring Push Ahead of New Business Offering 
Yen Slides as Japan Election Boosts Fiscal Stimulus Expectations 
Toyota’s Surprise CEO Change Signals Strategic Shift Amid Global Auto Turmoil 
China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices 
Russian Stocks End Mixed as MOEX Index Closes Flat Amid Commodity Strength 
Sony Q3 Profit Jumps on Gaming and Image Sensors, Full-Year Outlook Raised 
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.”
