Tencent to shut down WeGame app
Marie Dealessandri
Features Editor
Friday 8th July 2022
Tencent
The app for Tencent-owned storefront WeGame is set to shut down in September.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, Tencent stopped accepting new users for the app on Tuesday (July 5), and it will no longer be available to download from July 15.
The app will then close down on September 8, with Tencent citing "changes in business development strategy" as the reason and adding that some of the app's functions will be transferred to the PC version of WeGame.
The tech giant already shut down its streaming platform Penguin Esports this June, after the Chinese government blocked its plans to merge it with Huya and DouYu, which would have created an entity owning roughly 80% of the game streaming market in China.
WeGame initially launched in 2007 as Tencent Games Platform. Tencent started planning for a global release of the storefront around 2018 just after Valve announced that Steam would be launching in China.
WeGame X, the international version of the store, soft launched in April 2019.
In its Q1 results released in May, Tencent reported flat revenue at $21.3 million and profits down 52%.
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that WeGame was shutting down, but only the app is actually affected.
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