Xbox Partners with Timi Studios, Honor of Kings Developer

TiMi Studios and Xbox Announce Strategic Partnership

TiMi Studios, a highly successful game development studio and a component of Tencent’s extensive digital entertainment group, revealed on Thursday a new strategic alliance with Xbox.

The announcement was brief and did not specify the nature of the collaboration, whether it involves content creation or the distribution of Xbox consoles within China.

Further details regarding this “deep partnership” are expected to be disclosed before the year concludes.

TiMi Studios: A Global Gaming Force

Founded in 2008 as part of Tencent, TiMi Studios is the creator of immensely popular mobile games, including Honor of Kings and Call of Duty Mobile.

In 2020, Honor of Kings alone generated approximately $2.5 billion in revenue from player spending, as reported by SensorTower.

The studio achieved a total revenue of $10 billion last year, according to Reuters, citing informed sources.

Potential Benefits of the Partnership

This collaboration could enable TiMi Studios to expand its global recognition by adapting its mobile games for Microsoft’s Xbox console platform.

TiMi has been actively working to establish its own distinct brand identity, differentiating itself from other Tencent gaming divisions, such as LightSpeed & Quantum Studio, the developers of PUBG Mobile.

The studio maintains a presence in Los Angeles and announced plans in January 2020 to significantly increase its North American workforce.

Developing high-quality, AAA-rated mobile games is central to TiMi’s international strategy.

AAA Game Development and Virtual Reality

Recent job postings by TiMi employees suggest the studio is currently developing a new AAA title.

This upcoming game is being designed with Oasis – the immersive virtual world featured in the novel and film Ready Player One – as a benchmark.

Oasis is experienced through the use of a virtual reality headset.

Console Availability in China

The launch of Xbox Series X and Series S in China is anticipated soon, though it doesn’t appear to be directly connected to the Tencent agreement.

Sony’s PlayStation 5 became available in China in late April.

Nintendo Switch is distributed in China through a pre-existing partnership with Tencent, established in 2019.

Challenges in the Chinese Console Market

Chinese console gamers frequently rely on grey markets to acquire foreign game editions due to the limited number of titles approved by Chinese authorities.

However, these grey markets are subject to periodic regulatory crackdowns.

In March, listings for imported console games from several major sellers disappeared from Alibaba’s Taobao marketplace.