Almighty gaming company behind LoL stumbles, now apparently wants to buy Dungeons & Dragons

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The Chinese gaming giant Tencent is, in the eyes of many experts, the most powerful gaming company in the world. They own League of Legends (LoL), they dominate the mobile market in China, they own a super app with WeChat, and they are involved in many western gaming companies, including Larian Studios (Balur’s Gate 3). But they are currently stumbling. They missed out on hits like “Genshin Impact.” Now there are rumors that Tencent would take over the license for “Dungeons and Dragons” from Hasbro.

Who is Tencent and why are they so powerful?

  • Tencent is a huge Chinese company with a focus on video games, social networks, online media and other digital offerings.
  • Local companies enjoy special competitive advantages in China because market access is regulated by the Communist Party and “foreign” companies need a license to participate in the market in China: This is why there are “Chinese versions of Western services”. The Tencent app “WeChat” is a super app, a mix of WhatsApp, Facebook and Paypal.
  • Tencent has used its strength in China to also invest in Western companies: They bought Riot Games (LoL), for example, and are either involved in many other successful gaming companies or own them entirely: They hold 48% of “Epic Games” (Fortnite), 30% to Larian Games (Baldur’s Gate 3) and 100% to Funcom (Dune).

    • Tencent has been considered the “most powerful gaming company” in the world for many years. Companies like Activision Blizzard say something like: “We have to sell to Microsoft, we’re too small to compete with Tencent.”

    Tencent is also currently working on a “replacement” for WoW, which had to close in China:

    Tencent teases Tarisland story in new worldview trailer.

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    Tencent is jealous of gaming hits like Genshin Impact

    This is what Tencent says: Tencent boss Pony Ma said, according to reports (via reuters), at an annual meeting at a stadium in Shenzhen on Monday, January 29, that it had rested on its laurels for too long and that other companies were now getting into gaming too -Hits.

    Ma is quoted as saying: “Gaming is our flagship way. But we had significant challenges in 2023.”

    It is said that the competition has developed new products and Tencent itself now has the feeling that it has “achieved nothing.”

    Tencent’s new games didn’t work as well as planned. Titles like Genshin Impact (miHoYO) and “Eggy Party” (NetEase) did better than their own.

    Apparently, Hasbro wanted to sell to the makers of Baldur’s Gate 3, but the Penguin stepped in

    This is the latest rumor: Now there is a report that makes it clear how Tencent could defend itself.

    Tencent is said to be planning to take over the video game rights to the extremely popular fantasy series “Dungeons and Dragons” from Hasbro (via comicbook).

    Hasbro actually wanted Larian (Baldur’s Gate 3) to develop Dungeons and Dragons games, but they didn’t have the money. Now Tencent allegedly stepped in, which they say owns 30% of Larian.

    It is currently not clear whether Tencent wants to buy the entire “Dungeons and Dragons” license or just the video game rights.

    This is currently a rumor and not confirmed.

    You can read what Tencent means by the “Challenges of 2023” here:

    Former Blizzard partner and LoL parent company lose $80 billion because China enacts new rules for games

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