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William Ding

The latest news on Chinese billionaire businessman William Ding, founder and CEO of NetEase, including Chinese business news and updates.

Born

1 Oct 1971

Industry

Business, Technology

Job Title

Founder, CEO of NetEase

China's tech billionaires

Chinese tech billionaires move up Hurun 2023 Rich List amid internet rebound

Chinese tech founders moved up in this year’s Hurun Rich List although macroeconomic headwinds in China kept overall wealth gains in check.

25 Oct 2023 - 7:30PM

Artificial intelligence

Alibaba and NetEase bet future on AI despite looming US restrictions

6 Jul 2023 - 7:00AMvideocam

Video gaming

NetEase’s profits jump as it jostles with miHoYo in China’s video games market

26 May 2023 - 7:30PM

Video gaming

China’s No 2 video games studio does not expect any overseas titles until 2025

NetEase’s investment in studios outside China is unlikely to generate any ‘positive surprises’ for revenue in the coming two or three years, said CFO Yang Zhaoxuan.

24 Feb 2023 - 9:51PM

NetEase does not expect to launch any overseas titles until 2025. Photo: Shutterstock

Didi Chuxing

China’s tech regulator meets Big Tech bosses, including Didi CEO

Didi founder and CEO Cheng Wei made his first appearance at the symposium since China launched a cybersecurity probe into the firm in 2021, as Beijing eases its restrictions on the tech sector.

19 Feb 2023 - 6:00PMvideocam

Video gaming

China’s gamers bid farewell as Blizzard ends World of Warcraft service

Blizzard games have been popular among Chinese players for years. But as its partnership with Netease ends, some gamers say they are ready to move on.

23 Jan 2023 - 9:00AM

NetEase

Big Tech moguls step down from China’s top political advisory body

The founders of Baidu, NetEase and Sogou are no longer among the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference’s latest delegate list.

18 Jan 2023 - 8:15PM

Baidu CEO Robin Li speaks to the media as he arrives for the opening session of the CPPCC at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in March 2019. Photo: Reuters

Video gaming

Exclusive | NetEase team handling Blizzard games to disband as 14-year pact nears end

The Shanghai team’s dissolution quashes speculation on Chinese social media that Blizzard and NetEase might strike a last-minute deal.

13 Jan 2023 - 8:30PM

NetEase

NetEase lands deal to develop smart robots for China’s construction industry

Fuxi Lab, the artificial intelligence arm of NetEase Games, will jointly develop smart robots with a unit of China State Construction Engineering Corp.

9 Dec 2022 - 7:59PM

Video gaming

NetEase-Blizzard break-up raises speculation on US firm’s next China partner

Internet giant Tencent, Genshin Impact creator miHoYo and TikTok owner ByteDance are among those being discussed as Blizzard’s next Chinese video gaming partner.

19 Nov 2022 - 11:16AM

NetEase and Blizzard Entertainment will conclude their 14-year video game publishing licence in mainland China on January 23, 2023. Photo: Shutterstock

Video gaming

China’s video gaming market catches a cold this summer as sales drop

The world’s largest video gaming market has been hit by tougher regulations, a slowing economy and a shrinking user base.

27 Sep 2022 - 11:43PMvideocam

Video game sales in China endured a cold summer. Photo: Shutterstock

China's tech billionaires

NetEase and Xiaomi CEOs relinquish corporate roles at gaming entities

The moves from part of a growing trend of Chinese Big Tech leaders moving away from front-office roles amid Beijing’s tightened scrutiny.

5 Jul 2022 - 8:03PM

NetEase

NetEase ramps up metaverse push with Yaotai virtual meeting app

Chinese video gaming giant NetEase plans to introduce its Yaotai app as early as August to help expand the virtual meeting platform’s user base.

21 Jun 2022 - 12:22PM

Video gaming

China’s video game licensing freeze returns in May after reprieve

The National Press and Publication Administration did not issue a new list of games approved for sale in mainland China in May after its list in April ended an eight-month licensing freeze.

31 May 2022 - 11:00PMvideocam

Tencent

Tencent restructures news team as censorship and competition rise

Tencent Holdings, China’s most valuable tech company, reshuffled its news service operation this week, changing the unit’s head and sacking a handful of veteran editorial staff.

28 May 2022 - 2:23PM

An installation reading “Follow Our Party Start Your Business” in front of the Tencent Holdings headquarters in Shenzhen, China. Photo: Bloomberg

CPPCC

Will China’s Big Tech crackdown ease? Top advisory body meeting offers hope

The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference is holding a special symposium to promote the digital economy amid hopes of easing regulatory pressure on the country’s tech sector.

17 May 2022 - 8:39PM

Mobile gaming

NetEase launches first US video games studio in Texas

Opening of US studio reinforces trend of Chinese video gaming companies doubling down on overseas markets for earnings growth.

5 May 2022 - 7:25PM

NetEase

NetEase CEO cuts back on corporate duties amid China’s tightened tech regulation

William Ding, founder and chief executive of NetEase, joins other Big Tech leaders in China who have scaled back their corporate duties amid the industry’s tightened regulatory regime.

27 Apr 2022 - 9:00PM

Video gaming

China’s latest freeze on new video game licences may surpass previous record delay

With no relief in sight, the current regulatory freeze could potentially mark China’s longest suspension of new game licences since 2018.

22 Mar 2022 - 8:00PM

Video gaming

‘Two sessions’ delegates propose more gaming restrictions for China

NPC and CPPCC delegates have suggested harsher measures to curb video game addiction, including a complete ban for minors, reflecting the rigid political climate in Beijing.

7 Mar 2022 - 10:56PMvideocam

Microsoft

Microsoft to help Chinese video game developers expand overseas via Xbox

Microsoft China is hiring staff to help local video game publishers expand overseas through Xbox, a move that comes as many Chinese developers are now working under a tightly regulated domestic market.

25 Feb 2022 - 9:04AMvideocam

In January, Microsoft announced it would purchase Activision Blizzard for US$68.7 billion. Photo: Reuters

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