San Mateo (CA) - Electronic Arts is investing $167 million into The9, a mainland China-based game company. The9 will get exclusive regional rights to run the online soccer game EA SPORTS FIFA Online which currently has around 4.5 million players in Asia.

The investment gives Electronic Arts a 15 percent share of The9. The9 is probably most well-known for running World of Warcraft servers in China. The company recently inked a deal with Blizzard to release the World of Warcraft expansion The Burning Crusade to China’s shores.