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Tencent Games () is the video game publishing subdivision of Tencent Interactive Entertainment, the digital entertainment division of Tencent Holdings. It has five internal studio groups, including TiMi Studio Group. Tencent Games was founded in 2003 to focus on online games. In 2021, it launched its international Level Infinite brand, which is stated to be operated from its
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
office.


History

Tencent Games published its first game ''QQ Tang'' () in 2004, which is based on its social media platform QQ. This was soon followed by QQ variant games such as ''
Dungeon Fighter Online ''Dungeon Fighter Online'', known in South Korea as ''Dungeon & Fighter'', is a multiplayer beat 'em up action role-playing game, developed and published for personal computers by Neople, a South Korean subsidiary of Nexon, and originally publi ...
'', a side-scrolling online
beat 'em up A beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in Side-scrolling video game, scrolling, 2D c ...
game; ''QQ Fantasy'', a 2D online game that incorporates elements from Chinese mythology; ''Xunxian'', a 3D, online RPG; ''QQ Sanguo'', an online casual role-playing game set during the
Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin dyna ...
period; ''QQ Huaxia'', an online RPG; ''QQ Dancer'', an online musical dancing game that offers QQ IM interactivity; ''QQ Nanaimo'', an online game set on a desert island where players maintain houses and pets; '' QQ Speed'', a casual online racing game; ''QQ R2Beat'', an online in-line skating game; ''QQ Tang'', an "advanced casual game" with gameplay derived from Chinese literature; ''QQ PET'', and a QQ IM-based desktop virtual pet game.Products and Services > Interactive Entertainment Service
Tencent official Site
Tencent published Chinese versions of Smilegate Entertainment's Crossfire from 2007 and Hi-Rez Studios' Smite from 2013. Tencent gradually turned to mobile gaming in 2013. A game center with a sizable mobile game user base was launched by Mobile QQ and
WeChat WeChat or Weixin in Chinese ( zh, c=微信, p=Wēixìn , l=micro-message) is an instant messaging, social media, and mobile payment mobile app, app developed by Tencent. First released in 2011, it became the world's largest standalone mobile a ...
in the upcoming years. In order to become the biggest online gaming firm in the world, the company concentrated on the global gaming market, investing in or aggressively purchasing foreign game companies. In 2015, Tencent Games published a
multiplayer online battle arena Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games in which two teams of Gamer, players compete on a structured battlefield, each controlling a single Player character, character with distinctive abilit ...
game '' Honor of Kings'' () exclusively for the Mainland China markets developed by the L1 division of TiMi Studio Group, and by 2017 was both the world's most popular and highest-grossing game of all time as well as the most downloaded app globally. Tencent Games also released, under the brand Level Infinite, an international version of ''Honor of Kings'' named '' Arena of Valor'' in 2017. In 2011, Tencent Games started hosting online multiplayer games such as '' Call of Duty Online'', consisting of previous ''
Call of Duty ''Call of Duty'' is a first-person shooter military video game series and media franchise published by Activision, starting in 2003. The games were first developed by Infinity Ward, then by Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. Several spin-of ...
'' titles with added content, as well as the game ''
League of Legends ''League of Legends'' (''LoL'', commonly referred to as ''League'', is a multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by ''Defense of the Ancients'', a Mod (video games), custom map for ''Warcraf ...
''. Tencent Games partly owns
battle royale game A battle royale game is an online multiplayer video game genre that blends last-man-standing gameplay with the survival, exploration, and scavenging elements of a survival game. Battle royale games involve dozens to hundreds of players, who ...
s such as '' Fortnite'' and fully own '' Ring of Elysium''. Starting in 2016, Tencent Games developed a video gaming console dubbed TGP (Tencent Gaming Platform) Box. The TGP Box is called the Blade. It is an
Intel Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and Delaware General Corporation Law, incorporated in Delaware. Intel designs, manufactures, and sells computer compo ...
-powered console running Windows 10 and a TGP Box mode. So far, the TGP console has imported many Tencent games, such as ''League of Legends'', ''FIFA Online 3'', ''NBA 2K'', ''Monster Hunter'', ''Need for Speed'' and ''PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds''. Tencent Games hopes to bring third-party developed games. On 22 November 2017, Tencent Games formally entered into a strategic co-operation with PUBG Studios and obtain exclusive rights to operate ''Playerunknown's Battlegrounds'' in China. In April 2017, Tencent Games unveiled its flagship gaming platform,
WeGame WeGame is the primary gaming platform developed by the Chinese technology company Tencent. It serves as Tencent’s flagship game portal, offering a wide range of games, digital distribution services, and community features for players. History ...
which hosts games, content, and services from all over the world and provides gaming info, purchases, downloads, live streaming, and community services, creating an open ecosystem for gaming. ''WeGame'' is an upgraded version of TGP (Tencent Games Platform) that already had more than 200 million active users (compared to
Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
's 125 million in 2015) and over 4.5 billion downloads. It is dedicated to both global developers and players and can assist developers who require help with translation. The gaming platform supports both Chinese and global users through a single storefront and went online on 1 September 2017. Tencent Games stated that the platform would focus on PC and standalone games and won't host web or mobile games, and would provide support to small and indie companies. Aside from mainstream games, the company has promised to also launch titles which include '' Stardew Valley'', '' Rocket League'', '' Portal Knights'', ''
Minecraft ''Minecraft'' is a 2011 sandbox game developed and published by the Swedish video game developer Mojang Studios. Originally created by Markus Persson, Markus "Notch" Persson using the Java (programming language), Java programming language, the ...
'' and '' Cities: Skylines'', with 170 games promised by the end of 2017. Tencent Games plans to increase its advertising revenues through artificial intelligence and branded virtual costumes in its video games. In January 2019, Tencent prepared to release a
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...
game for smartphones developed by Yoozoo Games. On 18 March 2019, Tencent announced that its subsidiary, TiMi Studio Group, would develop Activision's '' Call of Duty: Mobile''. The game was released worldwide on 1 October 2019. As of 4 October 2019, the game has surpassed 35 million downloads and over $2 million in revenue. PUBG Mobile and its Mainland China version topped the global mobile games chart by revenue, raking in a combined US$232 million of sales in March 2020, as many people turned to online entertainment during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. ''Honor of Kings'' is ranked as the second-highest-earning game globally, generating US$112 million in revenue. In July 2021, Tencent Games implemented a facial recognition system called "Midnight Patrol" in China to limit minors' access to games during curfew hours. In December 2021, Tencent Games launched a new game publishing brand under ''Level Infinite,'' merging the ''Proxima Beta'' video games to this brand name''.'' The focus of the brand is marketing, events, and
esports Esports (), short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, played individually or as teams. ...
for the video game studios of the Interactive Entertainment Group division. The area served is global and includes titles from subsidiaries that belong to the Interactive Entertainment Group or have a partnership which includes the developers '' TiMi Studio Group'', ''LightSpeed Studios''. ''Sharkmob'', ''Mighty Kingdom'', ''Fatshark'', '' Shengqu Games'', ''Next Studios'', ''The Outsiders'', ''10 Chambers'', and ''Funcom'' as of 8 December 2021. The Initial games published under the brand include '' Arena of Valor'' created by the TiMi-J6 development division of TiMi Studio Group, ''Synced'' developed by Next Studios, and ''Don't Starve: Newhome'' developed by ''Shengqu Games.''


Divisions

Tencent Games has the following divisions:


Aurora Studio Group

Launched in 2007, based in
Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
. Games include ''Moonlight Blade'' (), ''Iron Knight'', ''Azure War:'' () ''Name of the Nature, Light and Night.''


LightSpeed Studios

Launched in 2008, based in
Shenzhen Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A Special economic zones of China, special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong ...
with the pre-fusion name Quantum Studios. The initial video games with the studio group release were QQ Huaxia & Freedom Fantasy. In 2011, LightSpeed was founded; marking today's LightSpeed – LightSpeed & Quantum Studio Group brand name outside of
Mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...
is LightSpeed Studios. The following
divisions Division may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication * Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting of 10,000 t ...
belong to, were acquired or created within the LightSpeed Studios, and are classified as subsidiaries of LightSpeed Studios. * – founded in 2020: LightSpeed Studios' first studio outside of
Mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...
and also its first U.S.-based studio. Based in
Irvine, California Irvine () is a Planned community, planned city in central Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was named in 1888 for the landowner James Irvine. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the ...
, and led by Steve Martin, LightSpeed LA is working on ''Last Sentinel''. * Uncapped Games – founded in 2021 * S•Studio * Happy Studio – founded in 2014 * TiKi Studios * Anyplay Studio * LightSpeed Tech Centre * Art Monkey Gang * Design Monkey Gang * Lucid Games – Acquired in 2023


Morefun Studios

Launched in 2010, based in Shanghai. Games include ''The Roco Kingdom'' (), ''Naruto Online'', ', and '' Aceforce 2''.


NExT Studios

Launched in 2017, based in Shanghai. Games include ''Unheard'' and ''SYNCED: Off-Planet, Nishan Shaman''.


TiMi Studio Group

Launched in 2014, based in Shenzhen. Games include ''Honor of Kings, Arena of Valor'', '' QQ Speed'', '' Call of Duty: Mobile'', '' Pokémon Unite'', and '' Delta Force''.


Tencent Institute of Games

The Tencent Institute of Games was founded in 2016 as a company initiative to nurture talent and professional development, and promote knowledge sharing in the game industry. The division head is Xia Lin (Sammi). It has incubated games including Nishan Shaman and The Everlasting Regret. It cooperates with multiple universities and set up an enterprise college cooperative education model for game talent. The annual Tencent Games Developers Conference is held by this division.


List of games published under Level Infinite

* '' Goddess of Victory: Nikke'' ( Shift Up) * '' PUBG Mobile'' * '' Tower of Fantasy'' (licensed from Perfect World Games) * ''ALARA Prime'' (Fall Damage) * ''SYNCED'' (NExT Studios) * '' Assassin's Creed Jade'' * '' Delta Force'' (TiMi Studio Group) * ''Command & Conquer: Legions'' (Yorha Studios) * ''Exoborne'' (Sharkmob) * '' Undawn'' (Lightspeed Studios) * '' Tarisland'' * '' Alchemy Stars'' (Tourdog Studio) * Arena Breakout (Level Infinite)


References


External links

*
Level Infinite
{{Tencent Chinese companies established in 2003 Companies based in Shenzhen Video game companies established in 2003 Video game companies of China