The Fallout of Activision Blizzard's Recent Controversies.

Activision Blizzard ended its 14-year partnership with Netease, the company that brought games like Overwatch and World of Warcraft to China, due to a miscommunication during contract renewal negotiations. Netease suggested it could sway Chinese regulators on Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision, which Activision executives interpreted as a threat. The two companies had earlier disputes, including NetEase's investment in Bungie and a game company founded by a former Activision employee. The ongoing drama has resulted in NetEase laying off or reassigning most staff from the team that was operating Activision Blizzard's games in China.