Tencent wants to create its own Baldur's Gate 3 and Elden Ring - betting on long-term collaboration with studios

Tencent intends to support promising studios for years to cultivate teams capable of creating games on the level of Baldur's Gate 3 and Elden Ring.

Tencent Games Vice President Yongyi Zhu called Larian Studios and FromSoftware the company's 'north stars.' In an interview with The Game Business, he explained that for Tencent, talent, a unique vision, and consistent development within a specific genre are more important than the developers' origin.

According to Zhu, Larian and FromSoftware did not achieve success overnight. Larian consistently developed the Divinity series before getting the opportunity to create Baldur's Gate 3. FromSoftware went from Demon's Souls through Dark Souls and Bloodborne to Elden Ring. Tencent wants to support studios using a similar model, allowing them to refine their ideas with each new game.

The company is ready to collaborate with a team if it sees the potential for it to become a leader in a specific genre. This may not happen with the first or even the second game – Tencent is counting on many years of development.

At the same time, the company will continue to use a service model with long-term game support and small teams during the riskiest production stages. The goal is not one big hit, but studios capable of releasing major games for years.