GUANGZHOU, China, July 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NetEase Games, the online games division of NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES), one of China's leading internet and online game services providers, today announced that it has acquired a strategic minority stake in Behaviour Interactive Inc. ("Behaviour"), Canada's largest independent video game developer.

Following this investment, Montreal-based Behaviour will continue to operate independently under the leadership of Rémi Racine, its President and Executive Producer, and NetEase Games will nominate a director to Behaviour's Board.

"NetEase is pleased to further develop our relationship with Behaviour, an online games pioneer and a leader of the asymmetrical battle arena genre," said Ethan Wang, Vice President of NetEase, Inc. "We look forward to leveraging Behaviour's deep passion and expertise to enhance our R&D efforts and deliver even more exciting new products to players worldwide."

Known as a premium content provider for game enthusiasts in China, NetEase Games has established itself on the global scene with successful game launches in multiple geographies in more recent years. By working with other leading international developers, NetEase Games is able to further enhance its advantages in R&D.

"NetEase's investment validates the reputation for excellence and efficiency we have built in the online games sector over the last 27 years," said Rémi Racine, President and Executive Producer of Behaviour Interactive. "At Behaviour, we are continuously looking for opportunities to accelerate growth by investing in R&D for new and innovative games for our players and in the recruitment of exceptional talent. As an industry leader in online games, NetEase brings highly reputable R&D and operational capabilities and experience that we believe will drive sustainable, long-term growth well into the future."

Privately held Behaviour Interactive develops games that turn players' imagination into reality. The company is the creator of the first globally successful asymmetric multiplayer horror game, Dead by Daylight, and the developer of over 250 titles, which have been delighting players on all major platforms since 1992.

About NetEase Games

NetEase Games is the online games division of NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES), developing and operating some of the most popular PC-client and mobile games in markets including China and Japan. As one of the world's largest incubators of quality online game content, NetEase Games is dedicated to supporting the growth of innovative studios around the globe and growing an international presence along the way. To complement its self-developed games and world-class R&D capabilities, NetEase Games also partners with other industry leaders including Blizzard Entertainment, Mojang AB (a Microsoft subsidiary) and other global game developers to operate some of the most popular international online games in China. For more information, please visit neteasegames.com.

About Behaviour Interactive

Founded in 1992, Montreal-based Behaviour Interactive is one of North America's largest independent game developers with 550 employees and over 70 million games sold on every platform, and 12 million players of its award-winning original IP Dead by Daylight^TM. To date, the company's mobile games have reached over 200 million players worldwide. Behaviour counts amongst its partners some of the world's most recognized brands such as Sony, Disney, Activision, Warner Bros, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Google, Bombardier, Wargaming, HBO, NetEase, Gaea, La Capitale, and many more. For more information, visit bhvr.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made under the "safe harbour" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. The accuracy of these statements, including statements regarding NetEase and Behaviour's cooperation and partnerships, may be impacted by a number of business risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated, including the risks outlined in NetEase's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. NetEase and Behaviour do not undertake any obligation to update this forward-looking information, except as required under applicable law.

For more information and media requests:

NetEase Contact:
Margaret Shi
NetEase, Inc.
ir@service.netease.com
Tel: (+86) 571-8985-3378

Behaviour Interactive Contact:

Marie-Eve Boisvert
Vice-President Communications, Behaviour Interactive
meboisvert@bhvr.com
Tel: (+1) 514-926-3169

SOURCE NetEase Games