Chinese Internet company NetEase.com has confirmed that its game channel has been separated from its portal system and merged into the company's game business department.

NetEase.com started adjustments to its Web portal businesses at the end of September 2012, and it separated the game channel and merged it into a game business department. The public relations department of the company said that the adjustment only involves the game channel.

Meanwhile, NetEase.com's game channel office will be relocated to the company's research and development center in Hangzhou, near Shanghai. Though headquartered in Guangzhou, NetEase.com's game business department has game studios in Hangzhou. The Hangzhou research and development center is a new office building, which was formally put into use in July 2011.

The office relocation will bring the company many related employee settlement issues. William Ding, chief executive officer of NetEase.com, has allegedly persuaded game channel employees to move to Hangzhou; however, the company refused to disclose specific staffing information or the effect possible layoffs may have on its costs.