Multimedia giant Tencent has announced that it's currently seeking to acquire Funcom, perhaps best known in recent years for multiplayer survival game Conan Exiles. The studio is currently working on an open-world Dune game.
Funcom is already partially owned by Tencent, which owns roughly 29% of shares in the company at present. According to a statement released by the studio, Funcom CEO Rui Casais is enthusiastic about Tencent's intent to commence a full-fledged takeover.
"We have had a great relationship with Tencent as our largest shareholder so far and we are excited about this opportunity,” said Casais. “We will continue to develop great games that people all over the world will play, and we believe that the support of Tencent will take Funcom to the next level."
As well as having shares in Funcom, Tencent owns parts of a variety of massive games studios, including Riot Games, Epic, Ubisoft and more. Tencent intends to make its offer in February, and has announced that even in the case of a full acquisition, there will be no changes to staff or management, while currently supported games will be maintained for the foreseeable future.
"We are impressed by Funcom’s strengths as a developer of open-world multiplayer, action and survival games," said Tencent Senior Vice President Steven Ma. "We are glad to deepen our relationship with Funcom and look forward to collaborating with Funcom to deliver more exciting and enjoyable game experiences to fans worldwide.”
According to Casais, a hypothetical Tencent takeover would "provide Funcom with operational leverage and insights from its vast knowledge as the leading company in the game space." The publisher has already announced plans to expand the scope of Dune, so expect some changes if the deal goes through.
