UK industry vet Codemasters is teaming up with Chinese games giant NetEase to make a new project for smartphones.

In an announcement on NetEase's investor relations portal, the firm says this game is for a global marketplace, with NetEase committing some of its internal mobile development talent to the cause. Furthermore, the Chinese firm is publishing the title globally, with Codemasters providing tech, resource and assets.

This certainly sounds like NetEase is making a mobile version of one of Codemasters existing IP on mobile!

Over the next three years, NetEase guarantees Codemasters $8m in revenue, half of which is being delivered by the end of the 2018/19 fiscal year on March 31st. 

"We are thrilled to partner with NetEase for the development of this new mobile game," Codemasters chief Frank Sagnier (pictured) said.

"Global mobile expansion is a key part of our strategy. We believe that a partnership with a world-leading developer and publisher such as NetEase will accelerate our growth, particularly in China's world-leading mobile game market."

NetEase VP Ethan Wang added: "We are pleased to gain the benefit of Codemasters' rich experience and highly evolved technology. With these attributes, alongside NetEase's world class development team and design capabilities, as well as our extensive publishing know-how, we hope to bring an exciting mobile game to market to thrill players around the globe."

This news follows a publishing partnership between the two companies for PC titles, which was inked in November 2018. 

This but the latest deal that NetEase has struck with a Western firm. The Chinese giant has a long-term partnership with Blizzard - which has just been renewed - with the two companies collaborating on mobile title Diablo Immortal. NetEase has just revealed that it has acquired a minority stake in French studio Quantic Dream, too.