Tencent has acquired a minority stake in France's Drama Studios

Chinese technology and entertainment powerhouse Tencent has acquired a minority share in Drama Studios, a French video game developer.

The financial details of the acquisition have not been disclosed. However, it is reported that the funds will be directed towards recruitment efforts and accelerating the progress of the hyper-realistic first-person shooter game, Unrecord. Previously, Drama Studios secured $2.5 million in seed funding from The Games Fund.

Currently, Unrecord holds the 9th spot on the wishlist charts on Steam.

Theo Hiribarne, CEO and founder of Drama Studios, commented, "Since receiving increased attention post our initial trailer release, we have been committed to developing a game that fulfills our community's expectations. Partnering with Tencent, we've found not only an exceptional ally but a team with genuine interest in our game and vision. Despite its vast scale, Tencent has approached our partnership with humility and genuine respect for our creative identity. They have been supportive of Unrecord from the onset and at every step of our journey. We are optimistic that this partnership will help us achieve our highest potential."

Commenting on the investment, Tencent Games Europe's VP of partnerships, Mark Maslowicz, stated: "Tencent is deeply committed to fostering creative talent. We have consistently been impressed by Drama Studios' dedication and the significant advancements they have made with Unrecord, despite their small size and limited resources. We believe this investment will enable them to realize their full capacity and produce the first of numerous exceptional games. We are thrilled to accompany Drama Studios on this journey."

Although Tencent had historically invested significantly in Western gaming companies, the Chinese conglomerate has recently taken a more careful approach with its investments. The company has offloaded some of its previous acquisitions, including Splash Damage and its subsidiary, Bulkhead, the developer behind Battalion.

Nonetheless, Tencent continues to make significant financial commitments, having recently invested €1.6 billion in Ubisoft. This funding supports a new subsidiary at the company, named Vantage Studios, which manages its premier intellectual properties.

A Bloomberg article recently noted that Tencent is exerting more influence over the firms it holds stakes in, such as Techland, Funcom, and Sumo Group.

In a conversation with GamesIndustry.biz earlier this year, Tencent Games' VP and head of business operations, strategy, and compliance, mentioned that although the company is scaling back its investments in certain areas, this merely mirrors current industry dynamics.