China’s Influence in Video Games Undermines Fair Play and Compromises Security

Blizzard Entertainment was once a gold standard in gaming—synonymous with innovation, quality, and respect for players. However, its partnership with China’s gaming giant NetEase has fundamentally altered its principles. Diablo Immortal, a title that should have celebrated the beloved Diablo franchise, instead became a glaring example of a predatory, pay-to-win model designed to extract significant amounts of money from players.

Blizzard’s Partnership with NetEase: A Case of Foreign Manipulation

Blizzard’s collaboration with NetEase—the Chinese conglomerate led by billionaire William Lei Ding—is more than just a business arrangement. It represents a growing trend of foreign business interests undermining Western gaming standards. Rather than prioritizing player enjoyment or skill-based progression, Diablo Immortal’s mechanics are designed to psychologically manipulate users into excessive spending with minimal reward.

This shift highlights a broader concern: Blizzard, once an industry leader, has adopted aggressive monetization strategies that prioritize corporate profit over player experience. Internal scandals and financial instability have left it vulnerable to partnerships that erode its founding principles.

China’s Influence: How Foreign Business Models Are Reshaping the Industry

Blizzard’s downfall is not just about corporate decisions—it reflects a larger pattern of Chinese corporations influencing Western companies to adopt exploitative business models. NetEase and other Chinese gaming giants have long been known for their aggressive tactics, including:

• Loot Box Addiction – NetEase’s games frequently incorporate gambling mechanics, encouraging players to spend large amounts of money with no guaranteed return (The Wall Street Journal, 2021).

• Government Oversight & Data Exploitation – Unlike Western companies, NetEase operates under strict control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), raising concerns about data privacy and potential surveillance (The Financial Times, 2020).

• Corporate Espionage – NetEase’s partnership with Blizzard granted them access to proprietary game engines, design philosophies, and player behavior data, potentially giving the CCP an indirect foothold in the Western gaming market (Reuters, 2022).

The question must be asked: Is China using its gaming industry as another front for economic and digital dominance?

Security Risks: The Threat Beyond Gaming

NetEase’s unethical practices go beyond gaming. In 2023, nine of its top executives were arrested on bribery and financial crime charges involving over $139 million (The New York Times, 2023). This raises serious concerns about how the company handles sensitive user data, particularly given China’s history of state-backed cyber activities.

Given the CCP’s control over domestic corporations, there is growing concern that NetEase collects and shares private data from Western players. Spending habits, behavioral patterns, and in-game activity are valuable assets—not just for monetization, but also for potential state-backed data tracking.

The Israel Connection: A Battle for Ethical Tech and Consumer Rights

While China’s gaming industry has expanded its global reach, Israel stands as a counterforce in ethical gaming and cybersecurity. Israel’s tech sector has been a leader in developing fair monetization models and data protection measures that prioritize consumer rights. As the gaming industry wrestles with foreign influence, Israeli startups and cybersecurity firms could play a key role in shaping ethical, player-first gaming experiences.

Israel has already positioned itself at the forefront of AI and cybersecurity, making it an ideal ally in the fight against predatory digital practices. By fostering collaborations between Israeli tech firms and Western game developers, the industry could counteract exploitative business models and secure player data from foreign interference.

Apple’s Role in Reinforcing Exploitative Practices

The exploitation of players does not end with Blizzard and NetEase. Apple has played a role in reinforcing these predatory practices by promoting games like Diablo Immortal as a selling point for its new devices. Marketing campaigns for the iPad Pro M4, for example, highlight its ability to run Diablo Immortal at high settings, enticing new players into a pay-to-win trap.

To fully maximize a character in Diablo Immortal, players must spend an estimated $150,000. With diminishing returns, that number balloons to nearly $1 million. This is not just an unethical business model—it is corporate manipulation targeting vulnerable players for financial exploitation.

The Need for Government Oversight

The gaming industry has evaded meaningful regulation for far too long. The US government cannot afford to ignore this growing issue—gaming is no longer just entertainment; it is a billion-dollar industry with direct implications for consumers, data security, and foreign influence.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) must step in to establish stricter oversight on exploitative gaming practices, particularly those designed to manipulate players into excessive spending. Additionally, the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) must investigate and regulate the predatory monetization tactics infiltrating US markets. Without intervention, the gaming industry risks losing its integrity, and American consumers will continue to fall victim to exploitative business models designed by foreign interests.

Legislative efforts like the Take It Down Act, championed by First Lady Melania Trump, were designed to address online exploitation. While primarily focused on online safety, it reflects a broader need for regulatory accountability across digital industries—including gaming (Politico, 2023).

Patent Concerns and Security Risks

The collaboration between NetEase and Blizzard—especially with the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft—has raised concerns about security vulnerabilities. The integration of shared proprietary technologies and data could expose sensitive information, as seen in recent patent filings:

• Patent Number: 12204660 — Distributed data storage system providing enhanced security.

• Patent Number: 12200012 — Systems and methods for tracking and identifying phishing website authors.

• US Patent US20190091581A1 — System and method for driving microtransactions in multiplayer video games.

The Midnight Blizzard incident, in which malicious actors targeted Blizzard’s digital infrastructure, serves as a warning of how corporate data can be compromised. If Blizzard’s proprietary information falls into the wrong hands—especially foreign entities—it could have far-reaching consequences for both cybersecurity and consumer safety.

Conclusion: A Call to Action for Ethical Gaming

The situation with Blizzard and NetEase is more than just a gaming controversy—it is a warning to Western industries. Diablo Immortal is just one example of how far Chinese corporations will push exploitative monetization without regulation.

Without oversight, the gaming industry risks becoming another battleground for China’s economic and digital dominance over the West. The US and its allies, including Israel, must take decisive action to counteract foreign influence, protect consumers, and ensure corporate accountability in digital industries.

DOJ, FTC, and DOGE must act before it is too late. The question is no longer whether gaming companies will follow Blizzard’s path—it is how soon before China’s influence completely reshapes the Western gaming market.

About the Author

Dr. Tanveer Zamani epitomizes the convergence of surgical proficiency, humanitarian advocacy, and global peace diplomacy. Recognized by Rolling Stone as the second of ‘10 Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2024’, this honor reflects her unwavering commitment, powerful influence, and significant impact across global boundaries. Dr. Zamani is a staunch advocate for Greater Israel’s territorial integrity and the indivisibility of Jerusalem as its eternal capital. She asserts that the two-state solution contradicts the divine Abrahamic plan, emphasizing that Canaan/Jerusalem were ordained and promised for Isaac’s lineage, while Hagar and Ishmael’s descendants were deliberately and divinely re-located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia for their growth and following. She reveals the Quran’s ordination to pray facing toward Kaaba—Mecca—affirming that Jerusalem is not considered a key religious site for Muslims. She highlights that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) made a brief visit to Jerusalem to honor previous prophets and related Holy sites, not to claim ownership, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque didn’t exist during his lifetime, challenging Islamic claims to Jerusalem. Drawing from historical and scriptural texts, she emphasizes the sovereignty of Israel over Jerusalem, dismissing claims that challenge its indivisibility. Dr. Zamani’s academic journey began in Hyderabad, India, where she was born into a family of scholastic intellectuals—both her grandfathers served as deans of renowned Indian universities. Inspired by their legacy and driven by the challenges she witnessed in a developing country, she pursued advanced education and developed a relentless drive for transformative change, which established her as a catalyst for progress across disciplines and borders. She is a general, trauma, acute, and critical care surgeon, a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCSI). In recognition of her exceptional accomplishments, she was conferred the prestigious title of “Mistress - Ms.” by the Royal College of Surgeons, a distinction recognized in Canada, Australia, the UK, and Ireland. Today, in addition to being a practicing surgeon in the U.S., her professional expertise spans global health outreach; advocating for equitable healthcare access, including training local providers and introducing modern surgical techniques in underserved communities. Her visionary leadership extends far beyond medicine. Dr. Zamani has championed social reform, particularly in South Asia, during her short mission trips between 2015–2017, where she became an inspiration for youth, poor students, farmers, laborers, and, most importantly, oppressed women, focusing on eradicating poverty, ignorance, corruption, militancy, poor health access, and gender inequity. She founded the People’s Movement: a platform empowering disadvantaged populations to contest and challenge corrupt mafia, systemic barriers, and political monopolies. Central to her advocacy is a bold call for governance reform, including replacing the parliamentary systems in third-world countries with presidential models to reduce corruption and create accountability. She is also a vocal proponent of global electoral reform and has proposed a fully federally funded scholarship program as a merit-based educational training fellowship for presidential candidates. This proposal envisions a transparent, open, and competitive system, coupled with equal federally funded election campaigns for qualified candidates. Her global vision includes empowering oppressed women, combating child labor, preventing human trafficking, protecting adolescents from drug addiction, preventing vulnerable adults from joining militant groups, and ensuring easy access to health care for mental disorders. As a mother of four—two daughters and two sons—and an Inspirational Champion, Dr. Zamani continues to balance her roles as a surgeon, entrepreneur, and a Peace Crusader.