Remedy Entertainment teams up with Tencent for shooter game ‘Vanguard’

The Finnish game developer Remedy Entertainment has signed an agreement to license and distribute their upcoming co-op PvE shooter game, codenamed Vanguard, with Tencent. The AAA game is being developed with Unreal Engine software and will be released for both PC and console, though few other details about the game itself are currently known.

What else do we know? — According to yesterday’s press release, “the game’s development is currently in the proof-of-concept phase” even though Polygon reported that Remedy hired its dev team for the “ongoing live multiplayer” game Vanguard nearly four years ago. Remedy has focused on single-player games in the past with titles like Alan Wake and Max Payne, so the move to a multiplayer title is a big new step for the company.

Making it mobile — Tencent’s agreement with Remedy includes funding for a mobile version of the game, which Tencent will be paying for in its entirety. Tencent’s global licensing agreement for Vanguard mobile means that those around the world who prefer to game on their phones will also be able to enjoy the upcoming title. Mobile gaming currently accounts for nearly 50% of all gaming revenue, and this percentage is likely to grow in the future.

Why this matters — Tencent has a massive stake in the gaming industry as a whole, and it’s showing no signs of stopping. The Chinese-owned tech monolith currently holds a stake in nearly every major AAA gaming company in existence.

Tencent owns 100% of Riot Games and has a 40% stake in Epic Games, an 80% stake in Grinding Gear Games (makers of Path of Exile), a 5% stake in Activision Blizzard, a 5% stake in Ubisoft and an 11.5% stake in Bluehole (makers of PUBG). Tencent has also invested in Discord.