Tencent Buys Majority Stake in Techland

Credit: Tencent/Techland

Poland-based game developer and publisher Techland is the latest company to cede its controlling interest to Chinese conglomerate Tencent Holdings. In a blog post Tuesday, Techland CEO and Founder Paweł Marchewka revealed that Tencent would become a majority shareholder, but assured fans that his company will retain full ownership of its intellectual properties and will have full creative freedom to make and publish future games.

“Today I am happy to announce the partnership with Tencent who are in the process of becoming Techland’s majority shareholder.

“Teaming up with Tencent will allow us to move full speed ahead with the execution of the vision for our games. We have chosen an ally who has already partnered with some of the world’s finest video game companies and helped them reach new heights while respecting their ways of doing things.

“We will retain full ownership of our IPs, maintain creative freedom, and continue to operate the way we believe is right. I’m also going to continue serving as the studio’s CEO.

“I couldn’t be happier about us making this giant step ahead toward the future and sharing this moment with you.”

Techland is best known for its original IPs including Dying Light, Call of Juarez, and the Dead Island series. It also runs a publishing label that has distributed such games as Torment: Tides of Numenera and Arise: A Simple Story.

It is unclear exactly what percentage of the company Tencent now owns. The Chinese conglomerate has major and minor stakes in a number of companies such as Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, Remedy Entertainment, From Software, Turtle Rock Studios, Epic Games, and Riot Games, among others.