This is a very smart move. 1 Billion new customers.
WIZARDS OF THE COAST AND TENCENT ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP TO BRING MAGIC: THE GATHERING ARENA AND FUTURE GAMES TO CHINA
RENTON, WA, and SHENZHEN, CN – April 23, 2018—Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and Tencent, a leading provider of Internet value-added services in China, today announced a partnership to bring Magic: The Gathering to digital gamers in Asia. Tencent will be the exclusive digital publisher and esports broadcaster for the iconic strategy card game in China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei.
Wizards of the Coast’s newest digital game, Magic: The Gathering Arena, is currently in Closed Beta and will be the first game published by Tencent through the new partnership. The game is designed and built for digital gamers without compromising Magic‘s core gameplay. Every element of the game design is focused on an engaging and dynamic experience, true to authentic Magic, to provide players and viewers fast-paced, exciting, and easy-to-follow matches.
“Magic: The Gathering is played by millions of passionate fans throughout Asia and continued growth here is a crucial part of our strategy,” said Wizards of the Coast President Chris Cocks. “Tencent is the perfect partner to help bring Magic to more and more gamers throughout the world.”
“Magic: The Gathering is a legendary game and has had a huge influence on culture and industry,” said Steven Ma, Senior Vice President of Tencent’s Interactive Entertainment Group. “We are thrilled to bring this amazing experience to players in Asia and look forward to helping expand its global community.”
In addition to MTG Arena, the partnership also includes publishing of future games based on the strategy card game on mobile, PC, and console platforms.
