The development of the World of Warcraft mobile game was reportedly canceled due to disagreements between Blizzard Entertainment and developer NetEase. The two companies did not agree on the terms for the mobile game, code-named Neptune. In fact, the team disbanded when it could not reach an agreement with Blizzard. This has led to a lot of speculation and rumor circulating on the Internet.
Developers of the mobile game were close to completion when Blizzard announced that the project had been canceled. The game was code-named Neptune and would have followed a different time period in the universe of World of Warcraft. But, due to a financial disagreement between Blizzard and NetEase, the project has been halted. While NetEase was previously an unaffiliated partner of Blizzard, it was also the publisher of Diablo Immortal.
However, they are working on another project – Warcraft Arclight Rumble – a free-to-play mobile strategy game based on the world of Warcraft. Despite the fact that the project was canceled, Blizzard has said that it plans to release the classic version of the game on September 26, 2022. The next expansion of World of Warcraft, Dragonflight, is expected to be released later this year.
In China, Blizzard has partnered with NetEase for years and has previously published games under its name. The company is the second-largest gaming company after Tencent and has helped develop Diablo Immortal. If NetEase is unable to continue the development of the game, Blizzard could start working with rival Tencent. Tencent, meanwhile, has partnered with Activision to launch Call of Duty: Mobile in China.
The World of Warcraft is a complex game with many levels and content. Blizzard has already released several spin-off titles for the franchise, such as Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm. One of these games, called Warcraft Arclight Rumble, was announced earlier this year. It has been in development for four years.
Activision Blizzard previously revealed multiple mobile Warcraft games in February. Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard for $69 billion, but the company’s partnership with NetEase remains unclear after the high-profile cancellation. NetEase also publishes the World of Warcraft in China and is also developing Diablo Immortal, which generated $100 million since its release.
NetEase, a Chinese company known for its mobile games, and Blizzard disagreed over the terms of financing and monetization. While the two companies were unable to work out a solution, over 100 developers were shifted to other projects. Neither NetEase nor Activision Blizzard commented on the matter.
