Blizzard has canceled a World of Warcraft mobile game according to a report from Bloomberg. The game, made in collaboration with Blizzard’s Chinese publishing partner NetEase, was in development for three years before a conflict about financing terms halted the project.
Blizzard reportedly cancels World of Warcraft mobile game
The in-development mobile title was three years along before getting canned
The in-development mobile title was three years along before getting canned
In response to the report, Blizzard spokesperson Andrew Reynolds said in a statement to The Verge, “We continue to have an extremely successful relationship with NetEase, and it is entirely untrue to suggest that there have been financial disputes.”
According to Bloomberg, the World of Warcraft mobile game was codenamed “Neptune” and was meant to be a mobile spinoff of the MMORPG.
The cancellation comes at an interesting time as Blizzard makes a concerted push into the mobile market, developing original games for the platform. Back in May, the developer announced Warcraft Arclight Rumble a “mobile action strategy game,” and in June, it released Diablo Immortal, whose questionable monetization model hasn’t seemed to hamper its popularity.
Blizzard and NetEase have been partners since 2008. The company co-developed Diablo Immortal, publishes Blizzard games like Hearthstone and World of Warcraft in China, and is a stakeholder in Blizzard’s Overwatch League, owning the current world champion, the Shanghai Dragons.
Update August 3rd 6:24 PM ET: Added a statement from Blizzard.
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