StarCraft II Returns to China

Blizzard Entertainment and the NetEase-owned Thunder Fire Group have confirmed that StarCraft II will officially return to the Mainland Chinese market on October 28, 2025. This development marks the final restoration of Blizzard’s major game library in the region, following the earlier reintroduction of titles such as World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Overwatch 2, and Diablo 3. The move effectively concludes the high-profile commercial dispute between the two companies that led to a widespread service shutdown in 2023.

To support the game's return, NetEase has scheduled an international StarCraft II esports competition to be held at the Hangzhou Esports Centre from November 29 to 30, 2025. While specific details regarding prize pools remain forthcoming, the event signals a renewed commitment to the competitive scene in China. This follows a period of significant volatility for the title in the region, highlighted by the 2023 victory of Chinese player Li “Oliveira” Peinan at the IEM Katowice event, which occurred shortly after the domestic server closures.

The restoration of these services follows a formal agreement reached in April 2024 to resume the partnership between Activision Blizzard and NetEase. The resolution was critical, as the regulatory environment for game distribution in China is highly complex, often requiring years of government approval processes. By leveraging the existing licensing framework held by NetEase’s Thunder Fire subsidiary, the companies were able to bypass the lengthy hurdles that would have been required to establish a new distribution partnership.