Tencent is set to become the majority shareholder of Dying Light developer Technland. The Polish studio said that partnering with Tencent will allow it to “move full speed ahead with the execution of the vision for our games.”
“We will retain full ownership of our IPs, maintain creative freedom, and continue to operate the way we believe is right. I’m also going to continue serving as the studio’s CEO,” said chief exec Pawel Marchewka in a blog post.
“I couldn’t be happier about us making this giant step ahead toward the future and sharing this moment with you.”
Techland added that it hopes to turn Dying Light into the “ultimate zombie game experience” for players around the world by “pushing the boundaries of solo and online modes to a totally new level.”
The company is also working on a new franchise that’s billed as an “action-RPG in a fantasy setting” that will become its first new IP in almost a decade.
Tencent continues to expand in the west
Last year, Reuters reported that Tencent had tweaked its M&A strategy to focus on buying majority stakes in video game companies outside of China.
Anonymous sources told the publication that the Chinese conglomerate intends to offset dwindling growth on home soil by investing heavily in overseas businesses.
Since then, we’ve seen Tencent sink $10 million into fitness game maker, Quell. The company also made a “game changing investment” into nascent UK studio Lighthouse Games.
Prior to that, Tencent purchased a $300 million stake in core Ubisoft shareholder Guillemot Brothers Limited. The Chinese company also holds stakes in major studios including FromSoftware, Riot Games, and Remedy.