Tencent acquires Canadian studio Inflexion Games

Nightingale developer joins huge holding portfolio

Tencent Holdings Ltd has added another fledgling studio to its huge portfolio of game developers. Inflexion Games, the independent Canadian developer founded by former BioWare manager Aaryn Flynn, was sold to Tencent in its entirety by British holding company Improbable.

“The highly talented team at Inflexion Games has a proven track record of developing engaging universes that combine compelling action with great gameplay,” said Tencent Games VP of Partnerships Pete Smith. “The initial reaction to Nightingale has been incredibly positive and we look forward to supporting Inflexion in realizing its vision for this and future titles.”

Aaryn Flynn, who will continue in their role as CEO of Inflexion, also spoke of their pleasure with the acquisition.

“It’s a privilege to work with the Tencent family,” said Flynn. “The depth of knowledge and expertise that Tencent’s global teams provide, and their empowerment of our team’s independence and creative spirit, offer an invaluable opportunity for collaboration. We look forward to working together on Nightingale‘s Early Access launch later this year.”

The acquisition pulls Inflexion off of a pretty precarious crossroad. The developer, still currently hard-at-work on adventure title Nightingale, was recently hit with the news that owner Improbable was essentially pulling out of first-party game development, thus leaving the future of both Nightingale and Inflexion itself somewhat in the balance. The Tencent acquisition will at least offer the team some solid ground, with which they can find their footing and continue in their work.

For more reading on Aaryn Flynn’s ideas for Inflexion’s future, check out this recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz.

Chris Moyse

Senior Editor – Chris has been playing video games since the 1980s. Former Saturday Night Slam Master. Graduated from Galaxy High with honors. Twitter: @ChrisxMoyse