Tencent is investing big in Chinese indie developer S-Game, the creator of the cult classic Rainblood franchise. According to sources, the investment could be up to “Several Hundred Million RMB (Approx. 80-100 Million US Dollars)”.
S-Game, formerly known as Soulframe, is one of the earliest Chinese indie developers. The first game of the Rainblood series was launched back in 2006 and was critically acclaimed for its interesting story and setting involving martial artists in ancient China. Since 2014, the studio shifted its focus to mobile games and created the Phantom Blade Series.
Despite its domestic success in the Chinese Indie scene, S-Game has been hesitant to jump into the international market. Phantom Blade: Executioner’s presence on this year’s Tokyo Game Show was their first attempt to appeal to an audience overseas.
After the new Tencent investment, S-Game is picking up the pace. There are 2 new game titles in parallel development using the Unreal 5 engine, one being the prequel of the Phantom Blade series, connecting the story of Rainblood and Phantom Blade. The other game will be a completely new sci-fi title called Stella Saga.
Both new games are still in early development, and there’s not much information out about them yet. However, judging from the 20% wage increase for all its employees, S-Game is clearly hoping to become a leading force in creating Chinese AAA games.