Media: Tencent May Sell Its Stake in Several Japanese Studios
The Chinese giant Tencent is preparing to divest some of its gaming assets in Japan, reports Bloomberg, citing sources.
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According to Bloomberg, Tencent is currently in talks to exit several studios. The full list is not disclosed, but it is assumed that Marvelous — the creator of the Rune Factory and Daemon x Machina series — is on it. The Chinese company acquired 20% of Marvelous in 2020 for $65 million.
In certain cases, Tencent is prepared to sell shares back to the original management teams, even if this results in a loss.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg writes that stakes in PlatinumGames and FromSoftware will remain in Tencent's portfolio.
It is reported that Tencent aims to improve its position in the gaming market through these actions. When deciding whether to exit a studio, Tencent considers whether there is still synergy between a particular team and the rest of its portfolio, as well as how much revenue they generate.
A Tencent representative, in a comment to Bloomberg, neither confirmed nor denied the rumors outright. Instead, they stated that video games remain a key business area for Tencent, and the company intends to maintain a strong presence in the Japanese gaming market in the long term.