TiMi-backed Tencent reportedly funded Highguard developer Wildlight

Developers at Wildlight Entertainment were open about Highguard’s development when it launched last month — everything except where the money came from. A week after mass layoffs at the studio, it has come out that the source of funding may have been Chinese conglomerate Tencent.

A new Game File report claims Tencent studio group TiMi is the backer. Wildlight was cofounded by ex-Respawn Entertainment veterans who worked on Titanfall and Apex Legends. Unlike many recent startups that publicize their investors, Wildlight kept that information private.

When pressed last month by Bloomberg, CEO Dusty Welch said, “We don’t really speak publicly about the business, and the economics and the financials of our company.” Tencent is no stranger to investing in Western game studios and companies, with holdings ranging from Larian Studios and FromSoftware to Epic Games and Ubisoft.

China

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