A bold rumor circulated on Twitter: Allegedly, the Chinese company Tencent has given the developers of LoL, Riot Games, $200 million to develop a shooter to compete with Deadlock (Steam) from Valve. The rumor was so bold that the community manager of Riot Games felt compelled to comment on it.
This is what the rumor said: The rumor appeared on Twitter in the form of a screenshot. In the screenshot, it was suggested that the news came from the reputable gaming site PC Gamer. Underneath an image of a Chinese flag, it stated:
“Tencent grants Riot Games a $200 million budget to develop a new hero shooter that can compete with Riot Games.”
The introduction states: Tencent, the Chinese tech and gaming giant, is supporting its subsidiary, Riot Games, with an impressive $200 million budget for a brand new hero shooter.
“We are working on a lot of things, but nothing like Deadlock”
This is what Riot Games says about it: Community manager Joe Hixon explained on Twitter on October 3rd: Many crazy rumors are circulating, but this one is “extra fake”:
- There is no such article
- Tencent does not pay for developments in this way – that’s just not how it works
- They are working on many things in research and development, but nothing like Deadlock
Deadlock has so much potential that bold rumors arise
Why did the rumor seem plausible at first glance? This is a relatively clever rumor, as Tencent is known for copying successful new games. In the past, they desperately wanted to find a replacement for WoW after Blizzard pulled out of China, which led to Tarisland. PUBG also had to get a Chinese clone at all costs. There are currently rumors that they are about to copy Palworld.
Furthermore, Tencent is currently dissatisfied that such hits as Genshin Impact are not theirs, but from competitors in Asia – the boss demands that they do not rest on their laurels but create more hits.
Tencent has also previously given orders to Riot Games or at least expressed wishes, as Riot was supposed to develop a “Mobile LoL” years ago, which Riot rejected. Therefore, the Chinese simply made LoL-Mobile themselves, and Honor of Kings was created.
Deadlock seems to be such a hit that it is easy to imagine that other companies may jump on the bandwagon and combine MOBA and shooter. Ultimately, Smite has already proven that there is something to the formula.
Riot, however, currently has many irons in the fire, such as the MMORPG for LoL, and a “Deadlock clone” would likely compete strongly with Valorant. The idea that Tencent is specifically dictating what Riot Games should work on is probably not appealing to the proud developers of LoL.
Tencent, the powerful penguin, always causes rumors, as the company is worth many billions of dollars and has interests everywhere. The penguin has its flippers in numerous gaming studios, including Larian, the developers of Baldur’s Gate 3, where Tencent was also responsible for a wild rumor.
