Spec Ops: The Line rattled the shooter genre when it first hit the scene in 2012. The introspective title from studio Yager sought to portray a different element of modern combat, that being the impact that war has on the psyche. Since then, Yager also released Dreadnaught, while its current title is a match-based shooter called The Cycle. Now, in order to strengthen its publishing and development activities, Yager has entered a strategic partnership with Tencent. Announced via a press release today, Tencent is taking a minority stake in the developer for an undisclosed sum.
Yager CEO Timo Ullmann reaffirmed that the partnership with Tencent is a step forward for the Germany-based studio. “Tencent is not only the world’s leading games company but also a prolific investor with a stellar track record,” said Ullman. He continued by commenting that Yager will now have access to Tencent’s “network and resources” as well as their “vast industry know-how.”
Funding for Yager
Tencent, the Chinese mega-corporation behind PUBG and Fortnite, has continuously expanded its reach across the gaming industry. The company’s investment in Yager could open doors for the studio to expand upon The Cycle, a free-to-play shooter available on the Epic Games Store. Yager also has an unannounced title currently in development.
The Cycle, for all of its similarities with current gaming trends, is actually not a battle royale title. The game instead bills itself as a quest-based, F2P multiplayer game. The match-based scenarios and “borrowed-time” aspect bear many resemblances to battle royales, but the game differentiates itself by allowing players to strike up alliances (or vendettas) with other players. Together, the match-based teams must work together to complete quests.
No doubt, Yager’s departure from Spec Ops‘ story-driven shooter formula towards The Cycle‘s F2P model was intended to generate long-term revenue. If the partnership with Tencent is any indicator, we’ll likely see more games from Yager in the future.
