Leyou
Leyou is a Hong Kong based global video game holding company focused on free-to-play console and PC gaming. Leyou has six subsidiaries[1]: Digital Extremes, Splash Damage, Certain Affinity (Leyou has a 20% stake and has an option buy out the company after 2020[2]), Athlon Games (publisher), Kingmaker and Radiance Games.
Public | |
Industry | Video games |
Founder | Alex Xu |
Headquarters | |
Products | Video games |
Subsidiaries | Digital Extremes Splash Damage Certain Affinity (minority stake) Kingmaker Radiance Games |
Website | leyoutech |
Overview
In October 2014, the chicken meat supplier Sumpo Food Holdings announced their intent to acquire a majority stake in Canadian games company Digital Extremes.[3] Digital Extremes is the developer and publisher of titles such as Dark Sector and Warframe.
In 2015, the company renamed itself to Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited.[4] The company at that time had two core businesses, Agriculture and Poultry and Gaming.[5]
In June 2016, Leyou purchased the remaining shares of Digital Extremes.[6][7][8]
In July 2016, the sale of British games developer Splash Damage to Radius Maxima (a Leyou subsidiary)[9] was announced, for up to $150 million by Paul Wedgwood, its sole owner, co-founder and chief executive.[10][11] Splash Damage is the developer of titles such as Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Brink and Dirty Bomb.
In August 2016, the company announced they would sell the chicken business and focus on its gaming business.[12][13]
In July 2017, Leyou announced that it had acquired a 51% stake in Guangzhou Radiance Software Technology Co. Ltd., a company working on Civilization Online under a license granted by Take-Two Interactive.[14]
In October 2017, Leyou announced a $10 million investment in Austin-based game developer Certain Affinity to develop original games.[15]
In May 2018, Leyou launched a video game publishing label known as Athlon Games based in California.[16][17]
In September 2018, Leyou announced a partnership between Athlon Games and Middle-earth Enterprises to publish a multi-year online free to play game based on The Lord of the Rings fantasy work of J.R.R. Tolkien.[18] In July 2019, Leyou and Amazon announced that they would collaborate on the project, with Amazon publishing the game worldwide and Leyou publishing the game in China and Taiwan[19].
In 2019, Athlon Games became the worldwide publisher of Samurai Shodown, with SNK developing the game and publishing the game in Asia.[20]
In August 2019, Athlon Games became shareholder and publishing partner of LCG Entertainment, which acquired the assets of defunct studio Telltale Games.[21][22]
References
- "Subsidiaries - Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited". Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- "Disclosable transaction in relation to the acquisition of 20% of the issued share capital of Certain Affinity and the entering of a game development agreement" (PDF). 2017-10-16. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- "Major transaction in relation to the acquisition of 58% of the entire issued share capital of Digital Extremes" (PDF). 2014-10-14. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- "Change of company name and stock short name" (PDF). 2015-02-23. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- "Leyou Technologies Holdings Limited | 樂遊科技控股有限公司". Archived from the original on 2015-04-26.
- "GamesBeat Boss interview: China's Leyou moves from chicken meat to triple-A game publishing". VentureBeat. 2017-09-02. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
- "Lexpert ® | Leyou Technologies acquires 39% of Digital Extremes for US$65 million". Retrieved 2018-07-23.
- "Leyou Technologies Holdings Purchases Digital Extremes, Creators of Warframe -". mxdwn Games. 2016-01-06. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
- "Splash Damage sold to Chinese poultry firm". gamesindustry.biz. 2017-07-11. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- Alex Hern. "Chinese chicken supplier buys UK games developer Splash Damage | Technology". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- Purchese, Robert (2016-07-11). "Splash Damage bought by Chinese chicken meat company Leyou •". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- "A strong contender for the weirdest deal of 2016". 2016-09-07. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- "Very substantial disposal and connected transactions related to disposal of the entire equity interest in the target company and provision of financial assistance to a connected person" (PDF). 2016-08-10. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- "Voluntary announcement investment in an online game development company incorporated in People's Republic of China" (PDF). 2017-07-31. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- "Austin Game Maker Certain Affinity Lands $10 Million Investment from Hong Kong Firm - SiliconHills". SiliconHills. 2017-10-17. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
- "Digital Extremes' Chinese owner stealthily launches new US publisher". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- "Leyou Tech Established Game Publishing Division in USA Spearheaded by Former WBIE VP & Director". Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- "Athlon Games Partners with Middle-earth Enterprises". leyoutech.com.hk. 2018-09-03. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- "Amazon Will Co-Develop 'Lord of the Rings' Game With Leyou". 2019-07-11. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- "Samurai Shodown to be published by Athlon Games". 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- Campell, Colin (August 28, 2019). "Telltale Games is being revived". Polygon.
- Takahashi, Dean (August 28, 2019). "LCG Entertainment game veterans buy Telltale Games". VentureBeat.