The Chinese video game giant NetEase collapsed on Monday after announcing the postponement of the Chinese release of the Chinese title of Diablo Immortal, developed jointly with the American Activision Blizzard. Chinese gamers were eagerly waiting to be able to test the new game, the mobile version of the Diablo franchise, which was already launched in Western countries in early June.
But Activision Blizzard said on Sunday that the launch of the title, originally scheduled for June 23 in mainland China, had been postponed.a number of adjustments to optimize the game«. Shares of NetEase fell sharply (-6.68%) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Monday. According to Activision Blizzard, developers are working on some changes, including gaming support on more devices, higher quality delivery, and performance optimization. «In the running (…) version, the gaming experience will be smoother, և we will offer better content to everyone (players)“Said the American giant.
Sharp adjustments
NetEase and Activision Blizzard have delayed launching in other Asian markets until July 8, but no new release date has been announced for mainland China, according to Bloomberg News. At the beginning of June, China issued new licenses for 60 video games, which was the second wave of licenses in the first world market this year. The announcement was seen as a positive signal for the Chinese video game sector, which has been targeted by the authorities in recent years.
Since 2021, China has set a strict limit on three hours of online video games per week for people under the age of 18. It froze any new license for nine months, which weighed heavily on the profitability of many video game companies, such as giant Tencent.
Source: Le Figaro
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