Grinding Gear Games, the New Zealand-based developers behind Path of Exile, have sold “a big part stake” - so as much as 80% on the company’s shares - to Chinese publishers Tencent, to have an undisclosed amount.
Grinding Gear Games managing director Chris Wilson says the deal lets the developers to be expanded their team. “We're aiming to increase our headcount above the next year from 114 full-time employees to a number exceeding 130. We're intending to do more expansions for the games, in parallel, and lastly bolstering the c's will be really attractive achieving that.”
The team made the announcement online. They make it clear that “we will continue an independent company where there won't be any big changes to how you operate. We want to reassure the city that this will never affect the development and operations of Path of Exile."
Tencent began publishing Path of Exile in China recently. Grinding Gear Games say they accepted the offer not merely because Tencent is one on the largest publishers inside the world, and also because they have a very reputation for respecting developers along with their decisions. “Tencent's agenda is obvious: to supply us the resources for making Path of Exile as well as it can be”.
According to your FAQ, they will not be making changes to Path of Exile including making it pay-to-win or giving the Chinese version preference, and Grinding Gear Games is an independently-run company - Tencent just own as much as 80% of the shares. They include that “we could have financial reporting obligations to Tencent, but this could have minimal influence on our philosophy and operations”.
Aside from Grinding Gear, Tencent make a number of big investments already this coming year. They’re taking a look at increasing their stake in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds developers Bluehole, bought 5% of Ubisoft, and possess invested $15 million in Fortnite esports - and so they already own 40% of https://www.mmoah.com/path-of-exile
