Robot grabs minority investment from Chinese giant Tencent

Hero Academy developer Robot Entertainment is the latest Western studio to see investment from Tencent, the China-based megacorp with significant investments in (among other things) Epic Games and Riot Games.

The investment comes to Robot through Tencent Games, the Chinese firm's free-to-play game publishing division. Late last year, Robot confirmed a partnership with Tencent Games to publish its upcoming MOBA/tower defense game Orcs Must Die! Unchained in China.

"Taking on Tencent as an investor gives us additional financial flexibility," stated Robot CEO Patrick Hudson in a press release confirming the investment. "More importantly, it creates a long-lasting and valuable partnership with the world’s premier publisher and operator of games."

Tecent recently made significant inroads into the Western market with a majority investment in European publisher Miniclip and a significant investment in Playdots, a mobile studio based in New York.