Tencent has acquired controlling ownership of Wangyuan Shengtang, the developer of the Swords of Legends series, including Swords of Legends Online.
Previously, Tencent had invested in the company, but is now moving ahead as the owner, with access and rights over the studio’s IP rights, development resources, and marketing. This will “enrich Tencent’s gaming empire” according to an article on the acquisition news from South China Morning Post. Tencent made its move through an investment vehicle to acquire ownership of another company, Dongtai Yunpeng Culture Co, which itself held a 43% stake in Wangyuan, and combined that with its previous holdings.
Swords of Legends Online was shut down in North America and Europe last summer after a decision from Wangyuan and publisher Gameforge. The game had launched with a retail price and several packages before eventually going free to play in 2022. While that game didn’t ultimately succeed in its widespread launch, the franchise remains a successful one in China.
As for what’s ahead after this move, Tencent will not only gain IP rights to the popular Swords of Legends franchise, it will also gain control of a big maker of single-player games in China. Feels a bit of a gap in Tencent’s holdings, since they usually specialize in free to play online and mobile titles. Their holdings include some of the biggest online games on the planet, so this is another branch that they can take advantage of.
Wangyuan’s founder and CEO, Meng Xianming will remain with the company and they are reportedly going to continue working on their projects. Tencent and Wangyuan are reportedly working on a new RPG called Ash Echoes.
