Blizzard To Pull Popular Games From China After License Spat

US gaming giant Blizzard Entertainment will suspend most of its services in China from January, the company said Thursday, after it failed to reach a licensing deal with local firm NetEase. Producer of some of the best-known titles in video gaming, including "World of Warcraft" and "Overwatch", Blizzard has operated since 2008 in China -- the world's biggest gaming market. But the firm said it had failed to reach an agreement with Chinese publisher NetEase over an extension to their 14-year partnership. "We will suspend new sales in the coming days and Chinese players will be receiving details of how this will work soon," Blizzard Entertainment, a subsidiary of California-based Activision Blizzard, said in a statement. Microsoft in January offered to buy Activision Blizzard for $69 billion, but the deal has yet to be finalised as anti-trust authorities examine it.