Activision Blizzard’s acrimonious breakup with Chinese publisher NetEase was affected by boss Bobby Kotick feeling “threatened”, the New York Times has reported.
Specifically, Kotick believed NetEase boss Ding Lei had suggested his company could sway the Chinese government’s decision over whether to pass Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard in the country.
But this threat was simply a misunderstanding by Kotick, according to a number of New York Times sources familiar with a crucial Zoom call between the two company leaders via the use of translators.
