Minecraft is launching in China

Today Minecraft developer Mojang announced that it’s creating a new version of the game tailored specifically for gamers in China. The studio has partnered with Chinese internet company NetEase, which also operates a handful of other big Western-developed games in China, including digital card game Hearthstone and the iconic online RPG World of Warcraft. “We’ll always embrace opportunities to bring Minecraft to new players around the world, widening our community, and giving us a new perspective on our game,” says Mojang CEO Jonas Martensson.

There’s no word yet on when the game will be launching in China, nor what kinds of changes will be made for the new market. The Chinese version of the game will be available on PC and mobile when it does launch (a version for the Xbox One actually launched in China last year, according to a Microsoft spokesperson). The news comes as Minecraft continues to expand in new directions, looking to increase its massive base of more than 100 million players. Most recently, Mojang partnered with Nintendo for a Super Mario-themed version of the game on Wii U, and also released a virtual reality version of Minecraft on Gear VR.