Blizzard Entertainment is once again partnering with Chinese company NetEase, Inc. to bring Diablo III to China. This is the fifth Blizzard game series that the two companies are bringing to mainland China, following StarCraft II, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, and the upcoming Heroes of the Storm.
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The release will let the world's most populous country get a chance to play the official version of the fast selling PC game in the world. When it was released in 2012, Diablo III sold 6.3 million units in its first week.
"We're excited to be able to welcome the many passionate gamers in mainland China to Sanctuary," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We appreciate all the support Chinese gamers have shown us over the years and hope they have a great time playing Diablo III."
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"We're very excited that with our effort, all five of Blizzard Entertainment's game series will be delivered to Chinese players," said William Ding, CEO and founder of NetEase, Inc. "We'll continue to work closely with Blizzard to prepare for a smooth Diablo III launch in China so that local gamers can start playing this epic adventure as soon as possible."
The world of Sanctuary is about to get a whole lot more crowded.
No word yet if they will be keeping the title Diablo III or translating it to the more appropriate, and I am estimating here, 'mogui'. When pronounced aloud, that word sounds like 'mogwai', which are the loveable furry versions of the creatures in Gremlins. Imagine going up against an army of Gizmos?
You wouldn't be able to pull the trigger, would you?
No official release date has been given yet.