Cataclysm is finally coming to China, over half a year since its North American release, reports Reuters. World of Warcraft's third expansion will be brought to the region by the game's operator, NetEase.
NetEase has operated the game since 2009, when The9 lost its rights to publishing the title in the region. The firm also worked closely with Blizzard Entertainment to gain Chinese government approval of Wrath of the Lich King.
The approval process for Cataclysm has gone much smoother than the previous expansion. Wrath of the Lich King took nearly two years of iterating for it to finally be approved for release. During the process, the Chinese government also ordered that World of Warcraft be shut down entirely pending a full review of the game's content.
NetEase saw a 47 percent rise in sales in 2010, which it attributed to the popularity of World of Warcraft in China, as well as the release of Wrath of the Lich King.
NetEase and Blizzard Entertainment have scheduled World of Warcraft: Cataclysm for a July 12, 2011 release in China.
[Source: Reuters]
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