Tencent and partners agree to buy Supercell for $8.6bn

Tencent Holdings Ltd. and its partners will pay $8.6 billion for the Finnish maker of “Clash of Clans,” a deal that will catapult the Chinese internet company to the top of the white-hot market for games played on smartphones and tablets, according to The Wall Street Journal. The deal for Supercell Oy, Tencent’s biggest-ever acquisition, reinforces the company’s position as the world’s biggest videogame publisher by revenue. It also highlights the Shenzhen-based company’s ambitions beyond China’s borders. Tencent and its partners are buying an 84.3% stake in Supercell from Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp. and the startup’s current and former employees, the companies said Tuesday. The deal values closely held Supercell at $10.2 billion—nearly double its valuation a year ago.