Tencent Holdings acquires Shanghai Moonton Technology Co.
The acquisition of the game developer, which makes mobile games, may sound like the first step to a bigger Tencent presence in China. But in reality, Moonton is only a small player compared to its parent company. Former Tencent employees founded the company, and it quickly made a name for itself in Southeast Asia with its mobile game, Mobile Legends. But Tencent is not the only company interested in Moonton’s technology, and other companies have also bid for it.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, developed by Moonton
Mobile Legends: BangBang was released in 2016 by the Chinese game development company Moonton, a subsidiary of ByteDance. It became a popular game in Southeast Asia. The development team behind the game has continued to develop the game and expand its universe. The game is now one of the most popular mobile e-sports games, especially in Asia. This game is now available on iOS, Android, and Windows Phones.
Players can play the game as their favorite heroes in the fictional Land of Dawn. There are more than 100 different heroes, which players can choose from. Players can battle with the characters of their choice and use their skills to win battles. The game has a large community of players and is available in many different countries, particularly Southeast Asia. It also boasts a fast matchmaking process, which means players can get into battle quickly.
This game was the first mobile esports game to be officially launched. Magic Rush Heroes followed this in 2015. The development of Mobile Legends began after Magic Rush Heroes’ release, and the game was released as a 5v5 MOBA in early 2016. It was a huge hit in Southeast Asia, with Malaysia and Indonesia seeing the largest market share. As of February 2017, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is one of the world’s most popular mobile esports games.
Tencent sues Moonton over similarities to Riot’s League of Legends.
A new lawsuit filed by Tencent on behalf of Riot Games alleges that Moonton copied aspects of League of Legends and Mobile Legends. The lawsuit notes similarities between the two games’ character designs, ability descriptions, and maps. Tencent is seeking retribution for any damages, fees, costs, and losses the company has suffered due to the imitators’ imitations.
The lawsuit alleges Moonton copied aspects of LOL and its features and that Riot earned millions from copying the game. Despite the legalities, it’s unclear how Moonton got so rich by copying Riot’s game. While Tencent did not comment on the lawsuit, it did say that Moonton’s name was misspelled in the court document.
In the lawsuit, Riot claims that Moonton copied several aspects of LoL and its mobile version, including its marketing material. Moonton has denied the accusations, but the lawsuit could be the first step in a larger battle over piracy. Tencent is also suing Mobile Legends developer ByteDance Ltd., based in China.
The lawsuit was brought after years of serial copying by Moonton, which made a series of mobile games similar to the League of Legends game. The company first sued Moonton in 2017, but the suit was dismissed in China. The lawsuit alleges Moonton engaged in a deliberate campaign of copying the game and imitating new aspects that Riot added to “Wild Rift” during subsequent updates.