Tencent buys Back 4 Blood and Left 4 Dead studio Turtle Rock

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Turtle Rock will focus on "the Back 4 Blood franchise … well into the future"

Back 4 Blood split screen
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Back 4 Blood developer and former Left 4 Dead studio Turtle Rock has been acquired by Tencent. 

In a joint press release, the two companies stressed that "the acquisition will have no effect on Back 4 Blood," and that Turtle Rock will continue to operate independently under the same leadership. This is standard procedure for most Tencent acquisitions, including less direct purchases through majority stake ownership. Don't Starve developer Klei Entertainment said the same thing last year. 

In a post on its website, Turtle Rock reiterated that "although our company is being acquired, we will remain independent and continue to be run by our co-founders." Note that it's technically Turtle Rock's parent company, Slamfire, that's been acquired, but the purchase includes Turtle Rock itself. 

With backing from Tencent, Turtle Rock says it "can now ensure that the Back 4 Blood franchise is here to stay and we will be working on it well into the future." The studio also teased plans to "turn a universe into a true long-standing AAA franchise" as it works to "develop new exciting multiplayer experiences," which suggests its plans for Back 4 Blood go far beyond regular updates. 

Tencent continues to put its hand in every cookie jar in the games industry, backing or buying dozens upon dozens of studios in and out of China each year. Just last month, Playtonic announced plans for a Yooka-Laylee sequel following an investment from the Chinese giant. 

Back 4 Blood only recently released a major update which added an offline campaign, yet more new cards to collect and combine, and some holiday festivities. 

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.