According to Game File, the main investor in Wildlight studio, which was responsible for the failed shooter Highguard, was TiMi Group, which is part of Tencent. The division is known for online hits such as Honor of Kings and Delta Force.
Why the collaboration with Tencent was kept secret remains unclear. The Chinese corporation has long invested in Western gaming companies and owns stakes in Larian Studios, FromSoftware, Epic Games, and Ubisoft. Typically, these are minority stakes. However, in the case of Wildlight, TiMi was reportedly the key investor in the project.
Wildlight was founded by former Respawn Entertainment employees who worked on Titanfall and Apex Legends. Unlike many gaming industry startups, the studio did not publicize its sources of funding. When Bloomberg journalists asked about the money last month, CEO Dusty Welch said: «We don't talk publicly about our company's business, economics, or financial performance».