Tencent invests in Spec Ops: The Line studio Yager

Tencent is making another big move in the gaming space. The Chinese megaconglomerate is investing an undisclosed amount of capital in Berlin-based game studio Yager Development. This influx of cash is going to help Yager expand its self-publishing efforts. It’s also going to enable the studio to continue work on its current project, competitive quest-based shooter The Cycle.

“Tencent is not only the world’s leading games company but also a prolific investor with a stellar track record,” Yager chief executive officer Timo Ullmann said. “We’re humbled to join the lineup of Tencent partners, which reads like a games industry Who’s Who. We’re confident that this will greatly enhance the scope of our business, not just by getting access to Tencent’s network and resources, but by tapping the vast industry know-how Tencent possesses.”

Yager is known by many gamers for its introspective and surprising 2012 shooter Spec Ops: The Line. In 2017, it launched flight-combat sim Dreadnought.  Then in 2019, the studio debuted The Cycle for Epic Games Store on PC. The Cycle has players working to complete missions while also simultaneously competing against other squads of players.

Now, Yager will have the opportunity to use its Tencent capital to build on its business in a number of key ways. But Tencent is also a strategic partner that can provide expertise to the Berlin studio.

“Over the last few years, Yager has been developing our games-as-a-service approach in connection with a F2P business model, and this presented its own set of challenges for us,” said Ullmann. “This is why we were looking for a strategic investor who shared our vision and who possesses not just the financial resources, but also a lot of experience in this field, and we found this investor with Tencent.”