World of Warcraft players in China are devastated about the shutdown

Another player shared, "The rivers and lakes are far away, looking forward to meeting again. Goodbye Azeroth, goodbye World of Warcraft.

Simon Zhu, president of Global Investment and Partnership for NetEase shared on LinkedIn, "Only [a] few hours before Blizzard Games Servers shut down in China, and that is a very very big deal for players in China."

"Today is such a sad moment to witness the server shutdown, and we don't know how things will play out in the future," Zhu adds. "The biggest victim would be players in China who live and breathe in those worlds. I also know how hard it will feel for those Blizzard developers who have spent all their passion and talent to build those amazing worlds. I hope all those valuable memories never fade away."

The parting between Blizzard and NetEase has been tense. Blizzard said in November that it was unable to reach a new deal with its Chinese partner "that is consistent with Blizzard's operating principles and commitments to players and employees."

NetEase claims that Blizzard's proposal was "unequal" and "unfair." Zhu adds, "One day, when what has happened behind the scene could be told, developers and gamers will have a whole new level of understanding of how much damage a jerk can make."

Last week, NetEase removed a giant World of Warcraft statue situated in its headquarters in Hangzhou. The event was live streamed on social media seemingly in an attempt to throw shade at Blizzard.

NetEase revealed that Blizzard tried to extend the licensing agreement for six months. The Chinese firm described the attempt as "riding a donkey while looking for a horse," meaning Blizzard was just trying to ride NetEase while looking for another partner.

Blizzard has not yet found a new partner within the Chinese market. Players have been allowed to download their player data ahead of the shutdown.