Tencent to buy video game developer Sumo in $1.27b deal

BEIJING: China’s Tencent will buy British videogame developer Sumo in a $1.27 billion deal, it said on Monday, adding new titles to its growing porfolio of chart-topping videogames.

The purchase, which will boost the Chinese internet giant’s presence globally, brings together Sumo’s racing and snooker games with Tencent’s more high-profile range of games that includes Call of Duty’s mobile version.

Shareholders in Sheffield-based Sumo will get 513 pence in cash per share, a 43 per cent premium to the last price and valuing the company at 919 million pounds, Tencent said, sending Sumo’s shares surging 42 per cent to a record high.

The deal comes days ater China’s market regulator decided to block Tencent’s plans to merge videogame streaming sites, Huya and Douyu, on antitrust grounds.

It is the second major deal involving a British video game company over the past year, following US video game maker Electronic Arts’ deal to buy Britain-based Codemasters.

Tencent, with stakes in companies that make Fortnite and League of Legends, is the world’s second-largest videogame group by revenue ater Sony.

“Chinese deals may imply a higher regulatory risk, but we see no likely resistance or counterbid,” Jefferies analysts said.

Sumo, which counts Microsot’s Xbox, Amazon Game Studios, Apple, Google and BBC as its clients and partners, has seen its value soar since a 2017 listing on LSE’S junior market AIM at 100 pence.