NetEase
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Technology, Internet services, Online gaming |
| Founded | June 1997 |
| Founder | Ding Lei |
| Headquarters | China , China |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Ding Lei (Founder) |
| Products | Online games, music streaming (NetEase Cloud Music), email services, advertising networks, digital marketplaces |
| Website | www |
NetEase, Inc. () is a prominent Chinese technology enterprise specializing in Internet services, established by Ding Lei in June 1997. The firm provides a diverse range of online offerings encompassing content distribution, social networking, communication tools, and e-commerce solutions. It is engaged in the creation and management of online games for both PC and mobile platforms, alongside operating advertising networks, email services, and digital marketplaces within China. Recognized as one of the leading global corporations in the Internet and gaming sectors, NetEase also manages several pig farming operations.
Among its digital products is the on-demand music streaming platform NetEase Cloud Music. The company’s portfolio of popular games includes titles such as Fantasy Westward Journey, Tianxia III, Heroes of Tang Dynasty Zero, and Ghost II. Between 2008 and 2023, NetEase served as the publisher for Chinese versions of Blizzard Entertainment’s major franchises, including World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, and Overwatch.
History
Founded by Ding Lei in June 1997 in China, NetEase initially expanded partly through investments in search engine technologies.
The company debuted on the Nasdaq stock exchange on July 1, 2000, offering 4.5 million shares at $15.50 each via an initial public offering underwritten by Merrill.
In 2012, the corporate name was officially changed from NetEase.com, Inc to NetEase, Inc. That same year saw the resignation of several senior executives amid allegations concerning inaccurate advertisement revenue reporting, alongside reports of acquisition discussions involving i-Cable Communications and other entities.
By 2008, the domain 163.com had amassed an annual visitor count exceeding 1.8 million. In 2010, it was ranked as the 28th most visited website worldwide according to Alexa Internet. The company continues to use 163.com as its main website, a remnant from its early days tied to Chinese internet dial-up services.
In 2014, Tencent initiated legal action against NetEase for alleged copyright infringement, using the lawsuit as leverage to obtain sublicensing rights for music content—a precedent that influenced licensing agreements among other Chinese online music providers.
NetEase holds the position of China’s largest free email service provider with a user base surpassing 940 million since 2017. It also manages additional domains such as 188.com and 126.com and operates a news portal at news.163.com along with its corresponding mobile application.
In 2022, Riot Games filed a legal complaint against NetEase accusing the company of infringing copyright related to the game Valorant.
Expansion and acquisitions
NetEase set up its headquarters in the United States in August 2014 and made a significant investment of US$100 million in Bungie by June 2018, securing a minority share and a position on the board. The company also invested in Aurora 44, a New Zealand-based studio, and divested its comic book division to Bilibili in December 2018. In January 2020, NetEase considered pursuing secondary listings on the Hong Kong Exchanges.
As part of its growth strategy, NetEase either founded or acquired multiple studios: Ouka Studios in Japan launched in June 2020 but was shuttered in August 2024 following the completion of Visions of Mana. In August 2020, a capital partnership was formed with anime studio Satelight. Liquid Swords, created by Just Cause director Christofer Sundberg in December 2020, was brought under NetEase’s ownership. Humanoid Origin, started by Casey Hudson in June 2021, closed operations by November 2024. In October 2021, NetEase acquired Grasshopper Manufacture from GungHo Online Entertainment.
Jackalope Games, founded by Jack Emmert in May 2022 and later renamed Jackalyptic Games in May 2023, collaborated with Games Workshop. Nagoshi Studio was established by former Sega personnel including Toshihiro Nagoshi. Jar Of Sparks, initiated by ex-Halo Studios’ Jerry Hook in July 2022, ceased operations in January 2025. NetEase also invested in Polish VR developer Something Random and completed full acquisition of Quantic Dream in August 2022 after initially taking a minority stake.
Further key investments and acquisitions include GPTRACK50 Studio led by former Capcom producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Rebel Wolves founded by ex-CD Projekt employee Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, and Norwegian fitness tech startup PlayPulse. SkyBox Labs joined NetEase’s portfolio in January 2023, followed shortly by the establishment of Spliced studio in February.
Studio Flare, launched by former Marvelous VP Toshinori Aoki along with BlazBlue creator Toshimichi Mori in September 2022, was acquired by NetEase. The company also introduced the Anici anime brand in March 2023 to broaden its animation collaborations. Anchor Point Studios, headed by Control designer Paul Ehreth and opened in October 2022, became part of NetEase through acquisition in April 2023.
In 2023, NetEase founded Bad Brain Game Studios in Canada under ex-Ubisoft developer Sean Crooks and Tokyo-based PinCool led by Dragon Quest producer Ryutaro Ichimura. T-Minus Zero Entertainment was created in Austin to focus on online multiplayer sci-fi action titles. Another U.S.-based studio staffed by veterans from Bethesda and BioWare launched in August 2023.
November 2023 saw former Blizzard employee Greg Street establish Fantastic Pixel Castle within the NetEase network, while Worlds Untold studio led by Mac Walters paused activities as of November 2024 to seek new investment. BulletFarm, led by Treyarch veteran David Vonderhaar, commenced operations in February 2024.
By February 2025, reports suggested that NetEase planned to divest several international holdings amid evolving industry conditions; more than twelve studios confronted financial difficulties threatening closure despite recent acquisitions over the past five years.
Partnerships
NetEase has formed strategic alliances to enhance its market influence. Beginning in 2008, it partnered with Blizzard Entertainment to distribute Blizzard’s games within China. This partnership concluded in January 2023 after the licensing agreement expired, resulting in the discontinuation of services for titles such as Overwatch 2, Diablo III, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm as of November 2022.
In 2012, NetEase piloted a restaurant recommendation application named "Fan Fan". By 2017, it collaborated with Marvel Comics to produce online comic books centered on a Chinese superhero alongside renowned series like The Amazing Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy.
NetEase also teamed up with Coursera to offer Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) across China and launched its proprietary online education platform in 2014 to expand its footprint within digital learning.
Within gaming collaborations, NetEase worked alongside The Pokémon Company and Game Freak to release an enhanced edition of Pokémon Quest, titled Pokémon Adventure, exclusively for the Chinese market in May 2021. This localized version includes ongoing updates and events tailored specifically for regional audiences.
Regulatory Actions by the Chinese Government
In October 2020, the Cyberspace Administration of China mandated that NetEase implement corrective measures and temporarily disable certain commenting features on its news application, following the discovery of inappropriate remarks by content moderators.
Games
| Year | Title | Developer(s) | Publisher(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Fantasy Westward Journey | NetEase Games | NetEase Games | |
| 2002 | Westward Journey Online II | |||
| 2015 | Revelation Online | |||
| 2017 | Rules of Survival | Service ended on 27 June 2022 | ||
| 2018 | Creative Destruction | |||
| Galactic Frontline | Online game, discontinued in 2020 | |||
| Identity V | ||||
| LifeAfter | ||||
| 2019 | Cyber Hunter | NetEase Games | ||
| Sky: Children of the Light | Thatgamecompany | Released exclusively in China | ||
| Marvel Super War | Service terminated on 18 June 2024 | |||
| Super Mecha Champions | Service terminated on 20 January 2025 | |||
| 2020 | Marvel Duel | NetEase Games | ||
| Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | ArtPlay | Ports for Android and iOS | ||
| 2021 | Ace Racer | NetEase Games | ||
| Harry Potter: Magic Awakened | NetEase, Envoy Games | Published by NetEase Games, Portkey Games, and Envoy Games | ||
| Naraka: Bladepoint | 24 Entertainment | Published by NetEase Games | ||
| Astracraft | NetEase Games | Service ended on 21 December 2022 | ||
| The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War | Warner Bros. Games | |||
| 2022 | Diablo Immortal | NetEase Games, Blizzard Entertainment | Blizzard Entertainment | |
| Eggy Party | NetEase Games | NetEase Games | ||
| Mission Zero | ||||
| Hyper Front | NetEase Games, BattleFun Games | |||
| Lost Light | NetEase Games | |||
| 2023 | Dead by Daylight Mobile | Behaviour Interactive, NetEase Games | Published solely in China by Behaviour Interactive and NetEase | |
| 2024 | Bloodstrike | NetEase Games | Available on iOS, iPadOS, Android, and Windows platforms | |
| Once Human | NetEase, Starry Studio | Released for Android, iOS, and Windows | ||
| Marvel Rivals | NetEase Games | Available on Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S | ||
| 2025 | Rusty Rabbit | Nitroplus | Accessible on Windows, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch | |
| FragPunk | Bad Guitar Studio | Offered on Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S | ||
| Racing Master | Dahua Studios, Codemasters | Available across Android, iOS, and Windows devices | ||
| TBA | Tom and Jerry: Chase | NetEase Games | Published by Warner Bros. Games | |
| Where Winds Meet | Everstone Studio | NetEase Games | ||
| 'Project: BloodStrike' ' | NetEase Games | |||
| 'Project: E.O.E' ' | ||||
| 'Project: EXTREME' ' | ||||
| 'Blood Message' ' | 24 Entertainment | |||
| 'Ananta' ' | NetEase Games, Naked Rain |
Licensed Online Titles
- Secured a three-year license to distribute Overwatch within the People's Republic of China
- Obtained licensing rights for Minecraft and its mobile version in China
- Managed the Chinese third-party Minecraft Hypixel server until its closure on 30 June 2020
- Assumed publishing responsibilities for Eve Online in China starting October 2018
Game Development Technology
NetEase has created two in-house game engines, Messiah Engine and NeoX, which serve as foundational tools for its internal game production efforts.
Development Studios
| Studio | Location |
|---|---|
| NetEase Games | Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hangzhou, China |
| Grasshopper Manufacture | Tokyo, Japan |
| PinCool | |
| Nagoshi Studio | |
| NetEase Games Tokyo | |
| GPTRACK50 Studio | Osaka, Japan |
| Studio Flare | Gotanda, Tokyo, Japan |
| Quantic Dream | Paris, France |
| Jackalyptic Games | Austin, Texas, United States |
| T-Minus Zero Entertainment | |
| Anchor Point Studios | Seattle, Washington, United States and Barcelona, Spain |
| NetEase Games North America | Brisbane, California, United States |
| BulletFarm | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| NetEase Games Montreal | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| SkyBox Labs | Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada |
| Bad Brain Game Studios | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Spliced | Manchester, United Kingdom |
| NetEase Games Korea | Seongnam, South Korea |
| Fantastic Pixel Castle | Remote studio |
| Something Wicked Games |