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Well, no one saw this coming! The news broke in the early morning hours of June 6. Reportedly, Tencent Interactive Entertainment, a large Chinese multinational technology company, acquired a percentage of Arrowhead Game Studios, the developer of the beloved Helldivers 2. The players are mostly concerned, but many are already livid. So, what’s going on, and why exactly is this such a big deal?
Tencent Reportedly Acquired 15,75% of Arrowhead
On June 6, breakit.se, a Swedish news site, published an article titled “730 miljoner i vinst för svenska spelutvecklaren Arrowhead – backas av Tencent”. Translated into English, it would probably be “730 million in profit for Swedish game developer Arrowhead – backed by Tencent”. Since the article is in Swedish (and we’re no experts!), beware that the translations might be slightly off. That said, the gist is clear.
Reportedly, the controversial Chinese multimedia giant bought 15,75% of the Swedish game studio. These shares are valued at around 730 million Swedish Krona (roughly USD 80 million). Arrowhead is valued at around 5,1 billion Swedish Krona (roughly USD 532 million). The remaining stocks are owned by the founders.
However, this acquisition isn’t all that recent. Reportedly, this deal went down in July 2024. The source of this information is another Swedish media outlet, di.se. In an interview with this outlet, Johan Pilestedt, the CCO of Arrowhead, stated: “It also opens up opportunities for China as a market. Gaining access to the Chinese player base is the holy grail in the gaming industry”.
Helldivers 2 Players Are Worried About Tencent’s Track Record
We’ve mentioned that Tencent was a controversial company, and that’s exactly the source of concern for the majority of Helldivers 2 players. But what’s so controversial about this company? Well, they are known for introducing microtransactions in the games. This company owns shares in various game studios, including Epic Games (Fortnite), Roblox Corporation, and Riot Games (League of Legends).
Naturally, Helldivers are worried that this could lead to significant changes in their beloved game. One player, JaredGuP, noted: “Can’t say I’m enthused by the news Tencent acquired a 15.75% stake. I used to play PUBG mobile for a bit and, holy s**t, the monetization was horrendous”.
Another player, Perezo, added: “Looking at Tencent’s track record of their involvement, it most likely means scummy monetization and slow decline”. This raises the question of how involved Tencent actually is.
There is no way to tell, but judging from the Heart of Democracy update, SEAF troops, and not one, but two Warbonds, all in less than a month, we’d say Arrowhead is thriving. And, if Tencent truly has been involved since July 2024, their involvement isn’t noticeable.
So, dear diver, don’t worry. We’re sure that Arrowhead owners wouldn’t jeopardize their company or Helldivers 2. Of course, only time will tell, but for now, we’ll see you out on the battlefield. For Liberty and Super Earth.