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Minecraft Is On Its Way To China
Microsoft is teaming up with NetEase to expand Minecraft’s footprint, with the game’s first Chinese release. The sandbox game has more than 100 million users across platforms, which is likely to expand drastically when it launches in China.
NetEase has locked up a five-year license to publish the game in China. Though no timing has yet been specified, the announcement suggests the release will be coming “soon.”
The release that will be available in that market won’t be the exact same build used by the rest of the world. Mojang is working on a version specifically tailored for the Chinese market.
We’ve reached out to NetEase for more specific information on release timing. We’ll update should we receive a response.
Our Take
With 1.35 billion people in China, the potential user base expansion is enormous. Minecraft has already proven itself on mobile with more than 30 million users, and since Asia is heavily focused on mobile, Microsoft and NetEase are going to have bright days ahead.
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