Tencent unveils its first console game, Last Sentinel

Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings revealed its latest console game, Last Sentinel, during The Game Awards in Los Angeles on Friday. Considered Tencent's most ambitious venture into the console market, Last Sentinel is a high-budget action role-playing game set in a dystopian Japan, featuring intense battles against robots.

Developed by approximately 200 individuals at Tencent's Lightspeed LA game studio, a crucial US-based studio in Tencent's global expansion strategy, Last Sentinel marks the company's plan to expand beyond its well-known mobile gaming domain. Tencent, known for popular mobile titles like PUBG Mobile, is now channelling resources into creating console games to cater to evolving consumer preferences in China and facilitate international growth.

The launch date for Last Sentinel remains undisclosed as Tencent positions itself against industry giants such as Rockstar Games. In 2020, Tencent enlisted the expertise of industry veteran Steve Martin, known for his contributions to globally successful console games like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, to strengthen its presence in the console gaming sector.

While Last Sentinel showcases Tencent's in-house development capabilities, the company has also made strategic investments in prominent game developers worldwide. Tencent holds a notable 30 per cent stake in Larian Studios, the creator of Baldur’s Gate 3. 

(With Reuters inputs)