Wildlight Entertainment, the developer of Highguard, has reportedly received funding from Tencent's TiMi Studio Group
It has been reported that TiMi Studio Group, a division of Tencent, took a central role in financing Wildlight Entertainment, the creators of Highguard. This information was highlighted by Game File, though the specifics of the funding agreement remain undisclosed, including details on its current status.
Insiders have not revealed the reasoning behind the confidentiality of this financial arrangement nor the extent of TiMi's investment. Tencent and Wildlight have not commented publicly on this matter, as no official responses have been issued from either entity before publication time.
Established in 2023 by former developers from Respawn Entertainment, Wildlight announced it had acquired full funding and was discreetly developing a new intellectual property, as noted when the studio was initially founded (GamesIndustry.biz).
In recent discussions, Dusty Welch, CEO and founder of Wildlight, described the company as an "independent studio," noting it operates without the backing of a large corporation. He also mentioned that the studio refrains from public discussions concerning its operations, financial situation, and business strategies. (TheGameBusiness, Bloomberg).
Tencent's investment portfolio includes various stakes within Western gaming firms, such as a minority interest in Epic Games (GamesIndustry.biz) and a controlling interest in Riot Games (GamesIndustry.biz). Recently, Tencent allocated over $1 billion to Vantage Studios, a branch of Ubisoft.
The revelation of Tencent's involvement follows a series of layoffs at Wildlight, although the exact number of affected employees remains unknown (GamesIndustry.biz). The company expressed that they had to make tough choices to let some staff go while maintaining a core group to continue game development.
Post-launch feedback for Highguard has been mixed, as acknowledged by the company's CEO, who expressed a desire for better reception at The Game Awards event last December (GamesIndustry.biz).