China-based Video Game Juggernaut Tencent is continuing their reach by investing in Path of Exile developers, Grinding Gear Games, cementing their place as the biggest games company in the world.
Tencent owns stakes in some of the world’s most popular titles, including both PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite, games that at one point competed with each other within the Battle Royale genre. Fortunately for Tencent, the company owns shares in both highly successful titles and as Fornite is quickly becoming the most played game in the world, especially with the release of the mobile versions that feature cross-play and saving capabilities, Tencent is in it win it and Path of Exile is just another big property, joining the ever-expanding company’s roster of impressive titles.
The proof of the company’s success lies in the numbers, with Tencent making an astronomical $3.65 billion in profit in their first quarter of 2018, which already sounds impressive, but comparing it to the likes of Activision Blizzard, another massively successful games company, who in contrast only made $500 million within the first quarter, shows just how impressive Tencent really is. Other big names under Tencent include Clash of Clans, League of Legends developer Riot Games and even a China exclusive Call of Duty online title.
Tencent also recently tried to get into Ubisoft’s shares, right after the company successfully ended the Vivdendi hostile takeover fiasco. It will be interesting to see just where Tencent reaches in the future with the current pace and success the company has seen thus far.
