Tencent buys majority stake from game maker Klei Entertainment

The Chinese Tencent has bought a majority stake in Canadian game maker Klei Entertainment. That studio is known for Don’t Starve, Mark of the Ninja, Shank, N+ and more. According to the founder, the studio still retains a lot of independence.

“There are some boring accounting changes that we have to adapt to. But otherwise I will continue to run the studio as before, with no changes in personnel, projects or other activities,” founder Jamie Cheng told the Klei forum. In China, Clay games can count on better support.

Cheng justifies the decision by stating that this way the studio can best hold its own in a volatile industry and that they can focus as much as possible on making games. Tencent was chosen because of all potential parent companies, this one gives the studio the most freedom. The two have been working together since the release of Don’t Starve Together in China in 2016.

The Chinese Tencent has shares in many large companies outside Chinese borders. The company owns shares of Epic Games, Riot Games, BlueHole, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, Grinding Gear Games, Paradox Interactive and more. The most prominent game companies that it owns a majority or all of are Riot Games and Grinding Gear Games.