Today, we've got some seriously exciting news to share with all you folks out there. It's a scoop you won't want to miss.
First off, let's take a look at this photo.
In the snapshot, two significant figures stand out: one is the bespectacled You Sanshi, while the other is Johanna Faries, the new CEO of Blizzard, facing away from us amidst a backdrop of towering waves.
Now, let's cut to the chase without beating around the bush: The return of Blizzard's Chinese servers is set to be officially announced within this week. Straight-up, no frills, just the bare facts for you.
According to reliable sources, this collaboration involves NetEase and Microsoft, with Blizzard being a part of the equation.
As for this photo, it was sent to me by a Chinese buddy I met when the Critic went to the GDC conference recently in California. In the picture, there's San Shi (Three Stones) and folks from NetEase, Microsoft, and Blizzard. The conversation, even a blind man could tell, was about the domestic gaming scene, and it seems like it's been cooking for a while.
Anyway, this photo lines up with the Critic's intel, so today I indulged in a bit of speculation.
This week, it's all going to be officially announced. It's a done deal.
Seeing this, the Critic knows exactly what the critics want to vent about. News like this circulates every day, with all the chatter about the return of various national servers, quite boring, really.
But this time is different, "The Wolf Has Truly Arrived", otherwise the Critic wouldn't be stumbling over stones to spread such news, wouldn't you agree?
All us gamers need to do is wait a bit. In just a few days (within this week), this bullet that has been flying for two years will finally reach its destination.
During the shutdown of the Chinese servers, many Blizzard game-related streamers, players, and competitors were left adrift. Disoriented by the sudden disappearance of the servers, some pondered career shifts, while others reluctantly sought refuge in alternative gaming realms.
As the imminent reopening of the Chinese servers approaches, nearly two years later, one can't help but wonder where they've all ended up and how their perspectives may have evolved. Perhaps in their tales lie reflections of our own journeys.
He's a streamer on Douyu, a content creator on Bilibili, and a prominent figure in the Warlock Strategy section of the NGA forum. Moreover, he's a founding Warlock member of the original Chinese server first kill team "Hotpot Heroes".
The Daoist is a master wizard specializing in all three disciplines, renowned for crafting numerous strategies. They've provided guidance to countless novice players, and I've personally learned how to play as a wizard by watching their videos.
After the closure of the domestic server, Dao Zhang opted to continue playing Warcraft on the Asia server. For him, the rhythm of life remains much the same as before: work during the day, and in his free time, indulge in gaming and strumming his guitar.
With each new update, he dives headfirst into researching the latest talents, equipment, and skills. Drawing from his profound understanding of the Warlock class, he strives to uncover the "optimal solution" for the current version.
Following this, he delves into creating guides, streaming live gameplay, uploading battle and instructional videos, and more.
Although everything seems unchanged, persisting in creating guides and sharing videos purely stems from a love for the game. However, despite playing on the Asia server for over a year, Dao Zhang has always felt a sense of "strangeness," whether it's regarding the accounts or friends.
"The number of people watching videos and asking questions has decreased," Dao Zhang said. It's a fact that the popularity of World of Warcraft on the Asia server isn't very high. "But anyway, I'm not relying on this to make money, so it doesn't matter."
When we talked about the return to the China server, Dao Zhang was still very hopeful. "From what I understand, a lot of old players, a very, very, very large number of them, are eagerly awaiting the return," Dao Zhang said excitedly, even using three "very"s in a row. Because among these old players are Dao Zhang's previous guildmates and friends, many of whom are unwilling to abandon their accounts from the China server, so they haven't come to the Asia server.
"Heavy players like me will come to the Asia server to play, but they only consider the Taiwan server as a 'rice (Torghast) launcher,' with their hearts still in the China server."
When the CN server shut down, Kil'jaeden once vowed never to touch Warcraft again.
Operating a high-end boosting studio, Kil'jaeden had his own team, assisting "bosses" in tackling the toughest dungeon challenges daily. His routine involved leading and commanding from dawn till dusk, occasionally berating members for their mistakes.
With the CN server closure, it all came to an end. Some of his "boosters" turned to other games for income, while others simply went AFK at their day jobs.
Setting aside his role as a studio boss, Kil'jaeden himself was a fervent Warcraft enthusiast, honing top-notch skills. During the server shutdown, he was heartbroken. His account, created in 2008, had been his companion for over a decade, accumulating countless transmogs, mounts, and achievements.
In a blink of an eye, everything representing his achievements in the game vanished, compressed into a mere ten-plus KB file, the equivalent of the "Ashes Box" system at the time.
"But when the new raid comes out, I'm always eager to dive right in." As a power-leveler, he always rushes to familiarize himself with and strategize for each new raid in the latest version, so he can expand his business. Over the years, it has become a habit.
However, this time he finds himself alone in the Asian server, joining a guild with a background from another major studio. "It's all about getting that raid fix. Whether you're a DPS player like me or part of the studio scene, it's the love for the game that keeps us going."
To him, the vibe on the Asian server feels similar to that of the Taoist server. Kil'jaeden thinks changing servers in World of Warcraft is like changing flavors; it's a game that thrives on social interaction. But on the Taiwan server, the social aspect seems to be lacking, with minimal interaction among players during gameplay.
"It's just not the same playing on someone else's account. If the China server reopens, I'll find ways to compensate for my old account." When he talks about his old account, Kil'jaeden speaks as if referring to an old friend.
As one of the top PvE players in the game, he believes Warcraft has immense potential as an e-sport. He's eagerly awaiting the day Warcraft reaches new heights in the world of competitive gaming.
Thanks to Hearthstone's comprehensive accessibility features, the game has been considered a treasure by the visually impaired community. Among them, Anmi, a hardcore Hearthstone fan, stands out. Due to his love for tinkering, Anmi started playing on the North American server long ago, so the shutdown of the Chinese server didn't affect him much. However, many other visually impaired players around him weren't so fortunate.
Suddenly unable to log in, with account data vanished, it left many people in a state of panic. If they still wanted to play, it meant delving into VPNs, starting from scratch on foreign servers, and perhaps even resorting to third-party recharge services. These are headaches enough for regular players, let alone considering how much more difficult it is for visually impaired players.
Anmi once recorded gameplay videos for me ▼
Unlike regular players, visually impaired players have almost no options. Hearthstone may be gone, but card enthusiasts can turn to Magic: The Gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh!, and worst-case scenario, there are plenty of games in the Steam library. But for visually impaired players, there's barely anything to turn to. So even if it's troublesome to switch to foreign servers, most people still do it. Especially when the Chinese server shut down, who knows how many people Darkmyth helped out during that time. It's clear that for them, Hearthstone is more than just a game. That's why whether it's the Darkmyth Hearthstone group or friends and classmates around, despite the complaints, deep down they're still hoping for the return of the Chinese server. Because after its shutdown, the group isn't as lively as before, and the atmosphere is slowly becoming desolate. There's nobody to discuss new decks or care about new classes. As players, witnessing this scene is quite heartbreaking. If the Chinese server returns, the doors of the tavern and the tables will surely buzz with activity once again.
Old Hu, a dedicated player of Overwatch with over 2000 hours of gameplay, has been devoted to the game since its launch until its closure. Despite trying various popular FPS games like APEX, Team Fortress, CS, and Valorant after the shutdown of the Chinese servers, he found it hard to immerse himself in any of them.
On one hand, as a professional in the civil engineering industry, Old Hu now has limited time, and with age, he finds it challenging to pick up new skills quickly. On the other hand, it could also be the strong initial impression made on him back in the summer of 2016. The background, art style, and gameplay of Overwatch deeply attracted Old Hu, fostering a genuine love for the game.
Not to mention, Old Hu has a dedicated team of players who have been with him from the early days of the game to its closure. They have formed a tight-knit group, accompanying each other through countless matches.
Old Hu nowadays, his enthusiasm greatly diminished by the national server incident. Though he occasionally hops onto the Asian server for a couple of rounds, it's mostly just that— a couple of rounds.
Even with the national server back, there's no guarantee of reigniting the fervor of yesteryears.
"I might not play as often anymore. In the future, I'll just casually invite friends for a few games, reminiscing the good old days."
Most Overwatch players probably share a mindset similar to Lao Hu's.
There truly were unforgettable times when we, a bunch of buddies, would team up and have a blast on the battlefield.
But those days are in the past. Despite the return of the Chinese servers, the game remains the same, yet Lao Hu isn't the Lao Hu he once was.
"The national server has been offline for over a year now, how do you feel about it?" "Not playing World of Warcraft has cured me of years of furrowed brows and depression."
During the interview, the first words from Fat Cow, the nostalgic guild leader, really cracked me up.
"Can't even get a full group together, relatives and friends who show up without reading the strategy, and those who lie down flat if they die without using potions... They're all adults, supposed to be mature, yet they'd rather stew in silence than speak up."
Fat Cow poured out his grievances to me.
Honestly, as one of his former guild members, I do recall a few individuals who fit that description. We all just let it slide with laughter, but I never realized Fat Cow had been holding onto these memories all this time.
"Back in the day, my buddy, who's usually chill, would get all worked up during raid nights. It was like his abacus got smashed right in his face," he said, somewhat resignedly.
Fei Niu mentioned how in his Warcraft days, he'd feel bummed for a whole week if he made a mistake and died because he missed out on taking down the boss himself. "But now, it's different. Let the slackers lie down and enjoy. Times have changed," he said, referring to some of the 'freeloaders' in his raid group. "Life's gotten more routine for Fei Niu over the past year. His career's on the up and up.
"I'm not really looking forward to the reopening of the Chinese server. Nowadays, gamers are just grinding away. The gaming scene has soured, and true gamers are few and far between. Let the good memories stay in the past," he said.
To my surprise, Fei Niu, who I thought would definitely come back once the Chinese server reopened, seemed somewhat indifferent when talking about it. "I might check it out if it does reopen. If not, well, the memories will have to do. Things have changed, and we can't go back."
Lastly, what I gathered from our conversation, aside from the scoop I got, is that there are rumors swirling around that NetEase has rebuilt their server infrastructure and is smoothly prepping for the reopening. Basically, except for Blizzard's end, everything seems to be on the up and up.
So, here's hoping Blizzard steps up and lets the players who are still waiting for them come home a little sooner.
