Tencent Holdings could be named a majority stakeholder in more gaming companies. The tech giant is reportedly aiming to replicate its recent deal with Ubisoft to expand overseas investments, following new regulatory laws that tightened access to games and IP approvals in China.
Reuters cited multiple sources claiming Tencent is “aggressively seeking” to acquire majority or controlling stakes in more gaming companies, particularly in Europe. Tencent is also said to be looking to invest in companies in the region that are working on projects related to the metaverse.
A Newzoo report (via GamesBeat) published last May showed Tencent’s $32.2 billion revenue in the last 12 months was the biggest in the video game industry. In August, however, the company reported its first revenue decline, believed to be partly due to China’s gaming market restrictions. Reuters’ sources now claim Tencent aims to offset that by increasing investments and “gaining control” in-game companies outside China.
Tencent responded without entirely denying the report but pointed out that its strategy to expand its overseas investments had been in place even before China’s stricter regulatory laws for the local gaming industry. China’s National Press and Public Administration imposed a nine-month freeze in issuing licenses to new game IPs that only ended last April. Also, last year, the government restricted players under the age of 18 from playing video games for more than three hours a week, only between Friday to Sunday.
The company has already hinted at continuing to expand its investments outside China. “It is a digestion year for different reasons, both domestic and international games. And our strategy is to accept that and to focus on really deepening our engagement with users,” Tencent Holdings chief strategy officer James Mitchell said in an earnings call in August. “And also, our focus on developing our capabilities, especially in the international markets as well.”
Tencent already closed several major investments for its gaming business this year, including the acquisitions of “Subway Surfer” developer Sybo Games. The company also gained a 16.25% stake at “Elden Ring” developer FromSoftware last August, followed by a €300 million investment to Ubisoft that granted Tencent a 49.9% economic stake with 5% voting rights at Guillemot Brothers Limited in September.
Photo by Chris Yunker from Flickr under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0)


ASML Trillion-Dollar Valuation: Can Europe’s AI Chip Giant Reach the Historic Milestone?
Wistron Opens $700M Texas AI Factory to Build Nvidia GB300 Superchips
Foxconn Wins First SpaceX AI Server Contract Worth Estimated $52 Billion
Nike Shifts China Online Sales Strategy to Boost Brand and Fight Local Rivals
Samsung Biologics Launches $1.81 Billion Bid to Acquire PolyPeptide
SpaceX Targets Thursday Launch for Starship's 13th Test Flight After Last-Minute Delay
Alaska Air Q3 Outlook Misses Estimates as Higher Fuel Costs Weigh on Profit Forecast
Xi Jinping Calls for People-Centered AI Development at WAIC, Expands Global Cooperation
TSMC Sees Multi-Year AI Chip Demand as Arizona Expansion Reaches $265 Billion
DeepSeek Eyes $74 Billion Valuation Ahead of Planned China IPO
SpaceX Aborts Starship Test Flight as Engine Issue Delays Launch
Super Micro Computer Stock Jumps 20% After Record AI Orders and Margin Surge
Judge Approves Anthropic’s $1.5 Billion AI Copyright Settlement With Authors
AI Chip Stocks Face Valuation Pressure as Investors Shift Toward Big Tech and Software
Australia ASIC Tightens Auditor Oversight After KPMG Leak Scandal
Nvidia Reveals 9.3% Stake in AI Cloud Firm Nebius Following $2 Billion Investment
SpaceX Q2 Earnings on Aug. 4 Set Stage for Historic Insider Share Unlock 



