Lest we forget, the falling out between NetEase and Blizzard has a toll greater than either company’s bottom line; it also saw a human toll paid as the Chinese giant disbanded the small team working on the titles for the country, though that sweep of layoffs still affected just under 100 employees.
According to insider sources, the layoffs affected “most staff” at NetEase affiliate Shanghai EaseNet Network Technology, while a “small number” of technical staff were transferred to other teams in Shanghai. The affiliate still has around 10 members who are staying behind to handle the logistics surrounding the suspension of affected titles, but their job is likely to last only around six months.
The team’s slow death had already begun in November, as sources say that most employees left when it became clear that the deal between NetEase and Blizzard was done for. Still, this does mark another facet to our pick for 2022’s Biggest MMO Blunder award and seems to put the kibosh on any latent hopes that the two companies could come to some arrangement. We hope those affected can find new jobs soon.
