Activision Blizzard Inc. and NetEase Inc. have decided to scrap a World of Warcraft mobile game after working on it for three years. This decision suggests relations between the two parties may be in turmoil.
A report published by Bloomberg states that the two companies apparently “disagreed over terms,” which led to the decision to stop the project. The game, which was code-named Neptune, was intended to be a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in the same universe as World of Warcraft. However, it was intended to be a spinoff, not a mainline game.
Unfortunately, in light of this cancellation, NetEase has disbanded a team of over 100 developers who were working on the project. Only some of these developers were offered an internal transfer. This also casts doubt about the future relationship between Blizzard and NetEase. Considering NetEase publishes World of Warcraft and other Blizzard franchises in China, there could be serious consequences.
It also seems that Blizzard hasn’t always had the greatest success when it comes to mobile games in general. This World of Warcraft mobile game cancellation comes after Blizzard had already canceled a different Warcraft-based project that was supposed to resemble Pokémon GO. That title had also been in development for four entire years prior to getting scrapped.
