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Chinese fans say Blizzard found true calling with Diablo anime and Overwatch cartoon

Gamers disappointed in Blizzard’s games look forward to its anime

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China has a big Overwatch fanbase. By early 2017, more than 5 million copies of the game were sold in mainland China. (Picture: Handout)
Xinmei Shen
This article originally appeared on ABACUS
China loves Blizzard. But some fans think the developer behind beloved games like World of Warcraft and Overwatch may soon find its true calling: Becoming an animation studio.
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Blizzard fans in China are excited about news that Blizzard is adapting Overwatch and Diablo into animated series, with Diablo reportedly being turned into an anime series for Netflix. The excitement comes shortly after fans were widely disappointed with the game Warcraft III: Reforged, prompting jokes about the developer changing its focus.
“A movie studio held back by its games finally found its main business,” quipped one Weibo user.
China has a big Overwatch fanbase. By early 2017, more than 5 million copies of the game were sold in mainland China. (Picture: Handout)
China has a big Overwatch fanbase. By early 2017, more than 5 million copies of the game were sold in mainland China. (Picture: Handout)
The new animated series were discovered on the LinkedIn profile of Nick van Dyk, president of Activision Blizzard’s film and television division, as reported by GameSpot. In the description for his position, van Dyk mentions that he’s the “executive producer of Diablo, a TV adaptation for Blizzard Entertainment’s IP, rendered in anime style.” The show is in pre-production and will be distributed by Netflix, he says.
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Van Dyk also lists that he and a creative partner “developed and sold an animated series based Blizzard's Overwatch franchise.” Blizzard did not respond to a request for more information.

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