Best Studios Tencent Has Invested In

Summary

Tencent has acquired several major game developers, like Riot Games and Grinding Gear Games.
These acquisitions allow Tencent to be involved in live gaming services and high-quality games like League of Legends and Elden Ring.
Tencent has established a significant presence in the gaming industry through various partnerships and acquisitions.

Chinese conglomerate Tencent has become something of a quiet industry titan in the increasingly lucrative world of video game development. The tech giant found their footing in the gaming world as a significant stakeholder in Epic Games, Riot Games, and the Swiss-based studio Miniclip, who were a key player in the very early days of mobile and Flash gaming.

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By Megan Smith

They have been on something of a tear in recent years, though, buying stakes in major game developers at a rate to rival Microsoft as the industry draws increasingly narrower, as most media enterprises tend to do. With so much money flying around, perhaps it's time to take stock and review the best studios Tencent has invested in.

8 Epic Games

Reported Stake: 40%

Initially Acquired: 2012
Major Releases: Fortnite, Gears of War, Unreal Engine

The relationship between Tencent and Epic Games is well-established and probably the first name that comes to mind when listing Tencent's investments, but that's not to diminish their significance to the gaming industry. Epic Games is the architect of the Unreal Engine, which remains one of the best available to game designers and operator of the Epic Store.

An invaluable early venture into gaming for Tencent that surely helped them amass the expertise required to become the video game conglomerate they are today.

7 Grinding Gear Games

Reported Stake: 100%

Initially Acquired: 2018
Major Releases: Path of Exile, Path of Exile 2

Grinding Gear Games is one of the narrower reaching and less recognized names in the industry — but one that is very significant to the community of fans the Path of Exile games have established. Offering a slower, more deliberate take on the dungeon-crawling of Blizzard's Diablo franchise, Path of Exile 2 was released into early access only recently and has already made big waves in the industry.

The Path of Exile games make up the sole franchise in the Grinding Gear Games catalog, however, with the huge, ever-evolving dungeon crawl RPGs consuming countless hours of ongoing development.

6 Riot Games

Reported Stake: 100%

Initially Acquired: 2009
Major Releases: League of Legends, Valorant

With Epic Games covering the more administrative side, Tencent's early venture into Riot Games gave them a foothold in active game development and live service models. Starting as a Chinese publishing partner for the US-based studio, they quickly established control just in time to ride the monstrous wave of League of Legends.

The lifestyle MOBA has developed a world of its own, establishing international tournaments and a lucrative multimedia franchise, including Netflix's Arcane and the upcoming fighting game, 2KXO.

5 PlatinumGames

Reported Stake: Undisclosed

Initially Acquired: 2020
Major Releases: Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Nier Automata

PlatinumGames were considered the gold standard of hack-and-slash games, producing some of the most iconic entries in the genre of the past decade. They were famed for their incredibly fluid and satisfying combat systems that were equal parts challenging and rewarding.

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That crown has slipped a little in recent years with the disastrous release of Babylon's Fall, but the studio has vowed to rise again, creating games that "surprise and delight."

4 Remedy Entertainment

Reported Stake: 14%

Initially Acquired: 2021
Major Releases: Max Payne, Alan Wake, Control

Tencent may have only acquired 14% of Remedy Entertainment, but that is enough to make them the second-largest shareholder, giving them significant voting power in the humble Finnish developer. Making a name for themselves with the iconic bullet-time shooter Max Payne near the turn of the millennium, the studio has gone on to amass a significant reputation.

Remedy Entertainment isn't the most prolific studio, but dedicated fans are rewarded with unique gameplay mechanics, surreal storytelling, and a strong dedication to quality, which has endeared Remedy to gamers in an era of rushed releases and post-launch patches.

3 Paradox Interactive

Reported Stake: 10%

Initially Acquired: 2016
Major Releases: Crusader Kings 3, Stellaris, Cities: Skylines

Paradox Interactive are a studio that may not be a household name for many, but they are a pre-eminent player in the world of grand strategy and 4X games. For the niche of gamers who want to sink dozens of hours into a narratively rich, strategically deep, and historically accurate endeavor, there are few better developers.

They've also successfully crossed over into the burgeoning tabletop strategy market, redeveloping some of their existing IPs and acquiring famed RPG publisher White Wolf Publishing.

2 FromSoftware

Reported Stake: 16%

Initially Acquired: 2022
Major Releases: Dark Souls, Armored Core 6, Elden Ring

FromSoftware are incredibly influential developers in modern gaming, defining a combat system with such a high barometer of quality that an entire 'soulslike' subgenre was spawned from a plethora of other developers attempting to recreate the feel.

FromSoftware is another studio that rewards fans by consistently putting out quality releases and continuing to iterate on their hugely successful formula. They further catapulted into the mainstream with the industry-shaking release of Elden Ring in 2022, their first foray into open-world video games and winner of countless Game of the Year awards. A testament to one of the best AAA studios around.

1 Ubisoft

Reported Stake: 10%

Initially Acquired: 2018
Major Releases: Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Just Dance

Ubisoft is certainly a company of ups and downs and one that hasn't always adhered to strong quality control, unlike some of the aforementioned studios. They are still one of the biggest names in video game development though, and an incredibly lucrative company holding major IPs.

Tencent is reported to have a partnership agreement with the majority stakeholders, the Guillemot Family, giving them a potentially extensive level of control. With the company also reported to be in some financial strife, this could be a relationship that continues to grow, representing one of Tencent's largest ventures into gaming.