Trump administration debates getting Chinese Tencent money out of US gaming over feared security risks


Donald Trump’s administration is apparently debating whether to let Tencent, a Chinese tech company, keep its investments in video games companies based in the US, such as Fortnite maker Epic Games and League of Legends maker Riot Games.

The Financial Times heard from “several people familiar with the internal deliberations” that meetings have been – and are being – held to determine whether Tencent’s investments pose a security risk. These meetings are being held ahead of Donald Trump visiting China in April.

Tencent has its fingers in lots of pies. In the US, Tencent fully owns League of Legends and Valorant maker Riot Games, and it holds a significant 28 percent stake in Epic Games, the maker of Unreal Engine and Fortnite.

Outside of the US, Tencent has notable investments in studios such as Baldur’s Gate 3 maker Larian, Souls series maker FromSoftware, and PUBG maker Krafton. Tencent has also invested in Discord and was recently revealed as the secret funder behind doomed multiplayer shooter Highguard.

Trump’s administration is also reportedly discussing the security risk posed by Clash of Clans, which – despite being made in Finland by Tencent company Supercell – has a large enough audience in the US to be of concern.

Should the Trump administration attempt to boot Tencent out of US gaming, the ramifications could be huge.

It’s worth noting that concern surrounding Tencent doesn’t originate from Trump’s administration. Joe Biden’s administration was also investigating Tencent, apparently, particularly with regards to ties with the Chinese military. “These platforms could serve as a significant intelligence collection source,” said a former Biden official who worked in this area, Chris McGuire, to the Financial Times.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    Assassin’s Creed Shadows ‘Moving Into Its Final Phase of Support,’ Though Ubisoft Promises a Final ‘Few Surprises’

    Ubisoft has detailed its plans for the future of Assassin’s Creed, and said it is already winding down support for last year’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Later this month, Assassin’s Creed…

    ‘Mega Man Star Force: Legacy Collection’ Fine-Tunes Some DS Capcom Classics

    Though it seems Capcom only recently remembered that they can make a new Mega Man game, there was once a time where the Blue Bomber was so prevalent that many…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    The US military is still using Claude — but defense-tech clients are fleeing

    The US military is still using Claude — but defense-tech clients are fleeing

    Assassin’s Creed Shadows ‘Moving Into Its Final Phase of Support,’ Though Ubisoft Promises a Final ‘Few Surprises’

    Assassin’s Creed Shadows ‘Moving Into Its Final Phase of Support,’ Though Ubisoft Promises a Final ‘Few Surprises’

    From Hamas attack to U.S. war on Iran, violence forges new Middle East

    Man goes on trial over 2003 rape that led to notorious miscarriage of justice | UK news

    Man goes on trial over 2003 rape that led to notorious miscarriage of justice | UK news

    How To Get The Most Out Of Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club

    How To Get The Most Out Of Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club

    Video American travelers stranded in Middle East amid Iran conflict

    Video American travelers stranded in Middle East amid Iran conflict