Tencent funded failed FPS Highguard, has a seat on The Game Awards advisory board

A high-value Tencent subsidiary helped fund contentious live shooter Highguard, sources tell Game File's Stephen Totilo. It's also been revealed that Tencent is on the advisory board of The Game Awards, and fans are questioning a potential conflict of interests regarding Geoff Keighley's decision to air the Highguard trailer at TGA 2024.

2

The Highguard story has taken a surprise turn. New reports from Game File indicate that Highguard's development was financed by TiMi Studios, a lucrative gaming group owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent. TiMi Studios is a major subsidiary responsible for mobile hits like Arena of Valor and Honor of Kings, both of which have generated over $18 billion in combined player spending.

The news has seemingly cast those involved in a bad light, and gamers are now distrustful of the publisher, the higher-ups at Wildlight who may have known about Tencent's involvement, and even Geoff Keighley, the host of The Game Awards showcase. It was originally believed that Keighley had chosen to showcase Highguard at The Game Awards 2024 out of hype and interest in the game itself, however fans are now second-guessing this sentiment because Tencent is actually part of The Game Awards' advisory board.

In 2018, Tencent SVP Steven Ma was appointed to the TGA advisory board, and Ma is still listed on the organization's website.

This is typical for video games industry showcases, as the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) was created through the conjunctive efforts of multiple high-level companies, studios, and entertainment groups chipping in and adding cohesive structure to the shows.

Keighley has yet to respond to the controversy surrounding Highguard's spot at The Game Awards.

As for Highguard, after disastrous layoffs at Wildlight Entertainment, the game's official website is currently down.