‘Clash of Clans’ dev Supercell bought out by Chinese games company Tencent for US$8.6B, shares next steps for future
Chinese gaming giant Tencent has bought out Supercell, the developer of strategic battle titles “Clash of Clans” and “Clash Royale.” The partnership was sealed with US$8.6 billion, making it the biggest acquisition for Tencent.
This deal is also slated to push Tencent’s reputation as the leading and largest videogame publisher to date, The Wall Street Journal reported. The acquisition has given Tencent an 84.3 percent stake in Supercell.
Tencent is a household name primarily in its homeland of China, thanks to its much-used WeChat and the instant messenger QQ. But as far as its hold on the mobile industry, it has been largely known in China.
This new move changes things, given how Supercell’s “Clash” titles as well as heavy hitters like “Hay Day” and “Boom Beach.” Analysts are even seeing this as Tencent’s way of aiming for a more global market approach, with Supercell as the first step to seal its place in the Western market.
For Supercell, it also gives the developers a lot of leeway and creative space to push forward its operations. In a note by the developer over at the Supercell official website, it not only confirmed the good news of the acquisition, but also presented the was by which changes will occur.
“We dream of our current and future games becoming a part of the rich history of games, living onto the very long term. As we started to spend more time getting to know potential strategic partners, it became apparent to us that a partnership with Tencent would secure everything that has made Supercell a success, while also enabling us to take a few pretty big leaps on this journey,” said the developer.
Supercell will still operate as an independent company, so nothing will change even when the ownership has. In fact, even the taxes paid and the headquarters will stay as they are and in the same place.
However, given the reach of Tencent’s platforms, counted to be around a billion with 300 million unique users, Supercell now looks forward to bringing its games to more people. Social play may also become a factor in the future, since it presents different ways by which they can be incorporated into the games.
