Highlights
Chinese tech giant Tencent has acquired a significant stake in Techland, the creator of the popular Dying Light series, resulting in a notable transformation for the company.While this partnership takes place, Techland will continue to possess its intellectual properties and enjoy the freedom to foster creativity, ensuring that fans need not worry about potential interference in their cherished content.
Tencent is actively expanding its portfolio through the acquisition of studios and increasing its investment in game developers and publishers. Recently, the Chinese tech giant has become the primary shareholder of Techland, the renowned creator of the popular Dying Light series. This significant milestone marks the most significant transformation for the company in recent years, coinciding with Techland's ongoing development of an upcoming fantasy RPG, which currently remains unnamed.
Founded in 1991 by CEO Pawel Marchewka, Techland is a renowned Polish video game developer. Over the past decade, the company has gained recognition for its focus on the Dying Light franchise. Prior to that, Techland created four games for the popular Western Call of Juarez series, as well as the first Dead Island and its sequel, Dead Island Riptide. Despite receiving mixed reviews, Dying Light 2 showcases the company's talent and also features some beloved IPs.
In a recent blog post by Marchewka, Techland announced that the majority of its shares have been acquired by Chinese technology giant Tencent. However, Marchewka reassured fans that the company will maintain full ownership of its intellectual properties and retain complete creative freedom. His position as CEO will also remain secure. While the implications of this acquisition are still uncertain, this official statement should alleviate concerns about potential interference with Techland's creative direction.
Tencent is steadily expanding its reach in the gaming industry by acquiring studios and increasing its stake in various game developers and publishers. In its pursuit of growth, Tencent made a significant investment in Ubisoft last year, and it continues to build its investment portfolio. A notable milestone in recent times was the acquisition of Sumo Group, the developer behind Sackboy: A Big Adventure, which was a monumental deal costing $1.27 billion. This acquisition stands as one of the largest ever made by the Chinese technology giant.
Techland is currently developing an untitled open-world fantasy action RPG. The game, still without an official title, promises a complete open-world experience that will differentiate itself from Dying Light 2 in terms of tone and gameplay. Described as an expansive narrative adventure, players can expect to explore a captivating and exotic open world, with an emphasis on storytelling. However, details regarding this highly anticipated game are currently limited, leaving fans eagerly waiting for more information to be revealed.
