Back in 2024, Microsoft signed an agreement with NetEase for the distribution of Blizzard Entertainment games in China. The previous year, Blizzard had left China, making it impossible to enjoy its games in the country.
Last July, several games were approved for the Chinese market, including Diablo IV. However, this return has not been without consequences, as the fourth installment has been heavily censored. Players have noticed that blood has been completely removed. Instead, a kind of dust comes out of the the bodies of defeated enemies, and that’s not all…
In addition to the removal of gory elements, skulls and bones have also been removed. So much so that a skeleton boss now has a stone body. There’s no official reason for it just yet. Some speculate that China’s very strict rules regarding the supernatural and superstition are behind this censorship.
