Tencent said to take Honour of Kings to the US and Europe

[HONG KONG] Tencent Holdings Ltd is preparing to roll out smash-hit Honour of Kings to the US and Western Europe from as early as September, introducing its single most profitable mobile game to millions of new players beyond China, people familiar with the matter said.

China's largest internet media company is accelerating the global rollout of the blockbuster title to diversify its revenue base, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. The company, best known for its WeChat messaging service, aims to build on the success of a title that may account for a majority of its smartphone gaming revenue this year.

Tencent may also be trying to create a truly global title to stand beside foreign acquisitions League of Legends and Clash of Clans. The self-developed Honour of Kings, in which players hack and slash their way through battle arenas, has been gradually introduced to select markets beyond China, such as Turkey and Thailand. Now it also will launch in the US, France, Italy, Spain and Germany, the people said.

Those versions of the title are expected to incorporate local touches: some of the existing international takes let players assume the mantle of Van Helsing or Batman for instance, in a tie-up with Warner Bros. Interactive and DC Entertainment. Tencent's already renamed the app Strike of Kings in many non-Chinese markets. The Shenzhen-based company declined to comment.

The game is free to download and generates revenue from users who buy upgrades to improve their odds in battle.

Taking Honour of Kings to more foreign markets furthers Tencent's ambition of spreading its footprint beyond China, while fortifying an industry dominance it bought with Supercell Oy and Riot Games. The move would also help the company shed its reliance on a home market where regulatory sentiment often proves unpredictable. The company came under fire this week after the Chinese government's premier newspaper blasted Honour of Kings for cultivating addiction and harming children in the pursuit of profit.

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