Blizzard Entertainment announced today that it has signed a three-year licensing deal with NetEase.com. Under terms of the agreement, Shanghai EaseNet Network Technology Limited will introduce StarCraft II, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne and the Battle.net platform to mainland China. Blizzard and NetEase will also collaborate to provide support for the titles and Battle.net in China.

"NetEase has been a leader in the Chinese game market, and we look forward to working with them to deliver high-quality entertainment to Chinese gamers," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "This partnership is a sign of our continued commitment to our players in China and to the local industry."

"We're excited to be partnering with Blizzard Entertainment to bring StarCraft II and Battle.net to China," stated William Ding, CEO of NetEase. "We hope to combine Blizzard Entertainment's expertise in developing world-class games with NetEase's strength in online-game operation in China to bring the best gaming experiences to our players."