RIOT GAMES AND TENCENT INK DEAL TO BRING 'LEAGUE OF LEGENDS' TO CHINA
World-Class Development Team, Including Creators of DotA-Allstars,
in Strategic Partnership with China's Largest Internet Service Portal
LOS ANGELES — Nov. 21, 2008 — Riot Games, an independent developer and publisher of premium online video games, has entered into an international licensing partnership with Tencent Inc., China's largest Internet value-added services company, best known for its QQ Instant Messaging client. Tencent will distribute Riot's first title under development, League of Legends: Clash of Fates, to Tencent's growing 300 million Internet user base through its leading QQ Game portal. The deal is one of only a handful of partnerships to bring a U.S.-developed online game direct to China.
"Tencent has proven itself to be a leader in the Chinese online gaming market with an unparalleled ability to drive customers to new products," said Brandon Beck, co-founder and CEO of Riot Games. "This agreement demonstrates Riot Games' long-term commitment to bringing our products to a global audience."
League of Legends is an online multiplayer session-based game that combines elements of role-playing and strategy genres with addictive battle action bringing accessible, replayable and competitive gameplay into a whimsical universe that deepens with the player's commitment. League of Legends is being designed by a decorated group of developers with credits that include PC & console blockbusters, as well as part of the team that created the popular Warcraft 3 mod DotA-Allstars.
"We are excited to bring League of Legends to the Chinese market," said Mark Ren, Executive Vice President, of Tencent. "With the passionate creative talent behind one of the most popular mods of all time that is extremely popular in China, DotA-Allstars, League of Legends is sure to capture the attention of a Chinese gaming audience."
For more information about League of Legends: Clash of Fates visit www.leagueoflegends.com.
About Riot Games, Inc.
Riot Games, Inc. (www.riotgames.com) is an independent Los Angeles-based video game development company, funded privately and through leading venture capital firms Benchmark and Firstmark. The studio was established in 2006 to develop innovative online next-generation titles for consoles and the PC. Comprised of industry veterans with a shared passion for creating fun, innovative gameplay, the company is currently developing League of Legends, which combines the best elements of the action role-playing and real-time strategy genres into a uniquely replayable and competitive multiplayer experience.
About Tencent
Founded in November, 1998, Tencent, Inc. has grown into China's largest and most used Internet service portal. In its ten-year history, Tencent has been able to maintain steady and fast-paced growth by always putting its users first. On June 16th, 2004, Tencent Holdings Limited (SEHK 700) went public on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Tencent aims to enrich the interactive online experience of Internet users in China by providing a comprehensive range of Internet and wireless value-added services. Through its various online platforms, including Instant Messaging QQ, web portal QQ.com, QQ Game portal, multi-media blog service Qzone and wireless portal, Tencent services the largest online community in China and fulfills the user's needs for communication, information, entertainment and e-Commerce on the Internet.