A new report claims that the ugly rift between Activision Blizzard and its Chinese partner NetEase stems from a misunderstanding surrounding the Microsoft Activision Agreement. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick reportedly felt “threatened” by a statement he misinterpreted.
How NetEase got caught up in the Microsoft Activision fiasco
According to the New York Times (via Eurogamer), Kotick was in a Zoom meeting with NetEase boss Ding Lei when the latter suggested through a translator that Microsoft’s Activision deal could run into hurdles in China with the current status of the Activision NetEase partnership.
Kotick reportedly felt “threatened” by Lei bringing up the subject and eventually believed Lei was suggesting he could influence the Chinese government’s decision on the deal.
Perhaps Lei’s comments got lost in translation, but it’s unclear why Kotick felt threatened by the mere mention of the merger. Ultimately, he decided not to extend Activision Blizzard’s contract with NetEase, a hastily made decision that ultimately resulted in the shutdown of all Blizzard Entertainment games for millions of gamers in China.
NetEase was understandably enraged by Kotick’s decision and refused to consider Activision’s request for a temporary contract extension to keep Blizzard games online.