Pokemon Go is going to launch in China later this year.
Niantic, the developer of Pokemon Go, has been eyeing China for some time. However, strict regulations surrounding video games in the country have stalled its launch. Now a deal with Chinese company NetEase Inc (ADR) (NASDAQ:NTES) looks like it may move the launch forward.
A recent round of funding brought in $200 million for Niantic and NetEase was among those investing in the company. This investment in the company sets up the partnership to bring Pokemon Go to China. It will also allow past and future games from the company to launch in the country.
The launch of Pokemon Go in China is likely going to be difficult for Niantic to pull off. The developer has relied off of its previous game Ingress to set up many of the gyms in Pokemon Go. Unfortunately, Ingress hasn’t come out in China, which means that the developer will have to start from scratch when setting up gym locations in the country.
“We absolutely intend to bring our existing games into China,” Niantic CEO John Hanke said in a statement obtained by Forbes. “Beyond that, there are opportunities to build games in China, both for China and for the world.”
Gamers in China hoping to get their hands on Pokemon Go will still have to wait a little longer. While the game is set to come out in the country this year, it likely won’t be until the second half of 2018.
NTES stock was up 1% as of Tuesday afternoon.
As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
