Marvel and NetEase Join Forces to Bring Superhero Games to China

It’s the crossover China’s superhero fans have been waiting for: Chinese gaming and media streaming company NetEase is partnering with Marvel to breathe new life into the beloved universe of superheroes.

The Guangzhou-based gaming giant announced on Monday at its annual games product launch event that it will be working with Marvel to create original entertainment — including games, TV shows, and comic books — for the Chinese market and beyond.

“Having admired the work Marvel has created over the years, we are excited to incorporate these beloved stories and characters into world-class entertainment content for global fans,” said William Ding, founder and CEO of NetEase, in a statement. “Adhering to NetEase’s brand statement of ‘Passion of Gamers’, we will work hard to deliver the type of high-quality content that game players and Marvel fans will be pleased to see.”

2019 marks Marvel’s 80^th anniversary and the Year of the Pig is proving particularly prosperous for the movie-making powerhouse in China. Avengers: Endgame blasted through box office records in China and beat out The Fate of the Furious for the title of highest-grossing foreign film ever in the country. Captain Marvel didn’t fare badly either, crossing the 100 million USD mark and earning 7 out of 10 on notoriously hard-to-please review site Douban, China’s version of Rotten Tomatoes.

And in March, the American entertainment company picked Destin Daniel Cretton to take the lead on its first Chinese superhero project. All in all, a productive year.

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NetEase also kicked off the 2019 fiscal year strong: not only did it bring in 1.7 billion USD from online games, but it reported a significant milestone: growing Minecraft’s audience to a whopping 200 million registered users. Founded in 1997, the Chinese company has become a leader in games, and is responsible for publishing popular originals like Knives Out as well as local version of games such as World of Warcraft and Overwatch.

And amid a difficult climate for gaming companies in China, it seems NetEase is only looking to expand, partnering with major international IP owners. The company is already working with Kabam, a US-based entity, to bring mobile fighting game Marvel Contest of Champions to China.

While you wait for the latest slew of superhero content to be released, try your hand at these Chinese games:

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Cover photo: Marvel Contest of Champions