Tencent clarifies role of new gaming entity after rumours on new co-owner of QQ Speed, Naruto game

Tencent Holdings, operator of the world’s largest video gaming business by revenue, said its new gaming entity was created as part of a “strategy adjustment”, after some online users speculated that the company would no longer manage some of its games.

Shenzhen Tencent Tianyou Technology Limited, which was recently included as an operator of several Tencent-owned mobile games, such as QQ Speed and Naruto, is wholly owned by Tencent, according to a statement posted on Friday by the Chinese tech giant on Weibo, a Twitter-like platform.

“Adding Tencent Tianyou [as an operator] was an adjustment based on the overall operational strategy of the company, and it will not impact any actual operations,” Tencent said, adding that more of its games will be operated by Tianyou along with Tencent Computing in the future.

Online discussions about the role of Tianyou started in late April, when players of Tencent’s mobile racing game QQ Speed, also known as GKART, found that some of their data in the game disappeared after an app upgrade.

The incident coincided with Tianyou’s addition as the game’s operator, sparking rumours that data associated with the game was being transferred to the new owner, and that the game may be discontinued.

The speculation persisted after QQ Speed issued an apology on April 30 and explained the role of Tianyou, and Naruto issued an announcement on its website about an adjustment in user data and privacy policies after Tianyou’s inclusion as one of its owners. A few other Tencent-owned games followed with similar announcements.

Tianyou, a subsidiary of Tencent, was set up in 2020 as a games and esports company covering the development, publication and operation of games, according to its official website. It currently operates a handful of mobile games, including the role-playing title Dragon Nest and multiplayer adventure game Noah’s Heart.