Friday turned into another deal for Tencent. The Chinese giant has bought a controlling stake in Klei Entertainment studio, known for Don’t Starve, a popular survival simulator with elements of roguelike. The amount of the transaction is not disclosed.
This became known from yesterday’s post on the Klei Entertainment forum. The Canadian studio will retain full creative independence, and the deal itself will not affect the projects, employees and operational activities of the company in any way.
“This partnership will help us do business better in an ever—changing industry and focus on what we do best: create a unique gaming experience that only we are capable of,” said Jamie Cheng, founder of Klei Entertainment.
According to him, the company was considering a deal with other companies and publishers. It was decided to stop at Tencent not only because of the opportunity to maintain control over their projects, but also because of the opening prospects in the Chinese market.
In 2016, Tencent helped Klei Entertainment launch Don’t Starve Together in China. The deal will help the studio improve support for its games among local players.
Last year, Tencent closed 31 deals, which was a record for the company. In December, the Chinese giant also acquired Leyou Technologies for $1.3 billion. As part of the deal, Tencent gained control of Digital Extremes studios (creators of Warframe) and Athlon Games (it is currently developing an MMO for The Lord of the Rings).