(Yicai) Dec. 26 -- Following talks with a number of Chinese video game developers, Activision Blizzard has reportedly chosen to work with NetEase again after the two cut ties last year.

NetEase and Blizzard will need to rebuild the team that ran the California-based firm's games in the Chinese mainland and test servers and systems, tech media outlet 36Kr reported yesterday, citing several sources.

But expectant players will need to be patient because the return of Blizzard’s games to China will likely take six months or more, the sources added.

NetEase declined to comment on the matter, Shanghai Securities News said yesterday. The team, which previously ran Blizzard's games in China, was disbanded this year, and it is unlikely to be re-formed quickly, the report said, citing a source close to the Hangzhou-based company.

Blizzard's China business has no news to share or further updates, Sina Tech reported it as saying.

Blizzard pulled out of its partnership with NetEase in November last year, rendering most of its highly popular games, including World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Hearthstone, and Overwatch, unavailable in the Chinese mainland and causing an outcry from the gaming community.

Blizzard's licensing agreement with NetEase expired on Jan. 23, it said last year, while the Chinese firm confirmed Blizzard's games would no longer be available in the mainland starting from Jan. 24 after negotiations between the pair broke down.

Editor: Martin Kadiev