Tencent makes minority investment in France’s Drama Studios

Chinese technology and entertainment giant Tencent has acquired a minority stake in French developer Drama Studios.

The amount of the deal has not been disclosed, but the gaming firm says the money will be used to hire and accelerate development of hyper-realistic first-person shooter Unrecord. Drama studios previously raised $2.5 million in seed funding from The Games Fund.

Unrecord is currently number nine on the wish list on Steam.

“Since the surge of attention following our first trailer, we have worked tirelessly to create a game that lives up to the expectations of our community,” said Drama Studios CEO and founder Theo Hiribarn.

“In Tencent, we have found not only a world-class partner, but a team that is truly passionate about our game and vision. Although large, Tencent has approached this partnership with humility, respect, and a true appreciation for our creative identities. They believed in Unrecord early and have supported us through every step of our growth. We are confident that this collaboration will help us reach our full potential.”

Mark Maslovich, Vice President of Partnerships at Tencent Games Europe, added: “Tencent has a deep belief in creative talent. We have been consistently impressed by Drama Studios' drive and dynamism, and the remarkable progress it has made at Unrecord, especially with such a small team and limited resources. This investment will help the studio reach its full potential and deliver the first of many outstanding games. We are excited to be part of Drama Studios' journey.”

The Chinese giant initially invested heavily in Western game studios but has become more careful with its money in recent years. The firm has sold several previous acquisitions, including developers: Splash Damage and its subsidiary,Creator of the Bulkhead Battalion.

This does not mean that the firm is not currently willing to spend money. Tencent also recently invested €1.6 billion in Ubisoft.supporting the Assassin's Creed producer's new subsidiary called Vantage Studios, which houses all of its most lucrative IPs.

A recent Bloomberg report found that Tencent has become “more assertive” about the companies it ownssuch as Techland, Funcom and Sumo Group.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz earlier this year: Tencent Games' vice president and head of business operations, strategy and compliance said the company may be reducing investments in “certain locations” but said that simply reflects industry realities.