• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechMobile Gaming

How One Chinese Internet Giant Plans to Take on ‘Clash of Clans’ in the U.S.

By
Kif Leswing
Kif Leswing
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kif Leswing
Kif Leswing
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 7, 2015, 12:49 PM ET
Images Of Tencent Applications As Second Quarter Earnings Are Released
The icons for Tencent Holdings Ltd.'s messaging applications WeChat, left, and QQ are displayed on an Apple Inc. iPhone 5s smartphone in an arranged photograph in Hong Kong, China, on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014. The success of messaging services QQ and WeChat has helped boost Tencents market value to about $161 billion, making it the most valuable Internet company in Asia. Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by Brent Lewin — Bloomberg via Getty Images

One of China’s most popular video games will soon become available in the U.S. for the first time.

Chinese Internet giant Tencent is working with San-Francisco-based publisher Glu Mobile to bring its shooter game WeFire to the United States and Europe next year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

WeFire first launched in China on Jan. 8. It’s a first-person shooter, but unlike American console games such as Call of Duty, it’s designed to be friendly enough to simply pick up and play. Like other hit mobile games, WeFire is free to play, although in-app purchases unlock additional content, such as bigger guns.

The highest-grossing title on the U.S. iTunes and Google Play app stores is Clash of Clans, which is developed by Helsinki-based Supercell, and grosses an estimated $1.5 million daily, according to some estimates. Research firm Newzoo predicts the mobile gaming industry to top $30 billion worldwide this year.

Porting a Chinese game to the American market is not as simple as submitting it to the U.S. app stores. According to Glu Mobile CEO Niccolo de Masi, the American publisher is “redesigning” Tencent’s title to make it more appropriate for the U.S. and European markets. Glu could decide to rebrand WeFire under an existing franchise such as Frontline Commando or Contract Killer, the Journal suggests.

Tencent is the giant behind China’s biggest social network, WeChat, but a large amount of its revenue comes from games as opposed to the advertising that powers American social media giants like Facebook. Tencent grossed $2.2 billion from online games in the most recent quarter, over half the company’s total revenue for the period.

MORE: Tencent Q3 Earnings

The partnership between the two companies is natural and should be expected to continue if WeFire becomes a stateside hit. Tencent purchased 14.6% of Glu Mobile (GLUU) for $126 million in April, and Tencent has long looked to offer more services and games in countries outside of its Chinese stronghold. Tencent became the world’s largest video game company by dominating the Chinese market, but a worldwide hit could generate as much as four times the revenue of a Chinese-only smash.

Glu Mobile is the company behind hit mobile app Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, which like WeFire is free-to-play, but users can spend money on virtual accessories and additional content. In fact, Kim Kardashian’s game is a good example of how fleeting success in the mobile gaming world can be. Kim Kardashian: Hollywood grossed $200 million in 2014, according to some reports, but now finds itself ranked number 38 in the highest grossing apps on the U.S. iOS app store as it competes with newer and more hyped games, according to App Annie.

Other high-flying mobile gaming companies have had trouble matching the success of their most popular titles. Rovio (ATVI) has had to lay off staff recently as it had trouble creating a second Angry Birds-sized hit. Although Candy Crush developer King was valued at $5.9 billion when Activision (ATVI) purchased it last month, consumer spending on Candy Crush titles is falling year over year, and investors are still worried about finding a new hit to make up for the game’s inevitable decline.

Tencent hopes to compete with these companies by porting games that it already knows have found audiences in China. Tencent plans to enter another mobile-gaming crazy country, Japan, with an unnamed title and a local partner. And earlier this year, Tencent launched WeFire in Taiwan and South Korea.

Sign up for Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

For more Fortune coverage of mobile games, watch this video:

About the Author
By Kif Leswing
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

AIEye on AI
Silicon Valley’s tone-deaf take on the AI backlash will matter in 2026
By Sharon GoldmanDecember 23, 2025
9 hours ago
Young rich woman in front of plane
SuccessBillionaires
There are more self-made billionaires under 30 than ever before—11 of them have made the ultra-wealthy club in the last 3 months thanks to AI
By Emma BurleighDecember 23, 2025
10 hours ago
ChatGPT Atlas illustration.
AISecurity
OpenAI says prompt injections that can trick AI browsers like ChatGPT Atlas may never be fully ‘solved’—experts say risks are ‘a feature not a bug’
By Beatrice NolanDecember 23, 2025
11 hours ago
SuccessSmall Business
10 crucial insights for small business owners to succeed in 2026—and beyond
By Ashley LutzDecember 23, 2025
12 hours ago
Photo of Sam Altman
SuccessCareers
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman says in 10 years’ time college graduates will be working ‘some completely new, exciting, super well-paid’ job in space
By Preston ForeDecember 23, 2025
12 hours ago
Kurian
AIGoogle
Google Cloud chief reveals the long game: a decade of silicon and the energy battle behind the AI boom
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 23, 2025
13 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
Billionaire philanthropy's growing divide: Mark Zuckerberg stops funding immigration reform as MacKenzie Scott doubles down on DEI
By Ashley LutzDecember 22, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeDecember 22, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Travel & Leisure
After pouring $450 million into Florida real estate, Larry Ellison plans to lure the ultrarich to an exclusive town just minutes from Mar-a-Lago
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezDecember 22, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
The average worker would need to save for 52 years to claw their way out of the middle class and be classified as wealthy, new research reveals
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 23, 2025
10 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
'When we got out of college, we had a job waiting for us': 80-year-old boomer says her generation left behind a different economy for her grandkids
By Mike Schneider and The Associated PressDecember 23, 2025
13 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman says in 10 years' time college graduates will be working 'some completely new, exciting, super well-paid' job in space
By Preston ForeDecember 23, 2025
12 hours ago