Tencent's Bold Shift: Team Kaiju's Closure Sparks Speculation as 'Team Jade' Emerges on the Horizon

In a surprising turn of events, Chinese tech giant Tencent has officially parted ways with Team Kaiju, an American video game studio that played a pivotal role in Tencent's global expansion strategy. The studio was a key element in Tencent's ambitions to establish a strong presence in the Western gaming market, as revealed by an insider with knowledge of the situation. Team Kaiju was actively working on a high-budget multiplayer game before facing closure, marking a setback in Tencent's aspirations. Despite this development, Tencent has redirected its employees to other projects within the company.

Led by veteran game designer Scott Warner, who departed in April, Team Kaiju's dissolution follows Tencent's recent endeavors to develop games tailored for international markets. This shift is evident in Tencent's introduction of the ambitious console game "The Last Sentinel," crafted at the Lightspeed LA studio. Renowned for mobile hits like "PUBG Mobile," Tencent's strategic pivot emphasizes a focus on higher-budget games and increased penetration into global gaming landscapes.

While an official confirmation from Tencent is pending, online discussions lend credence to the closure. Notably, a LinkedIn post from an individual claiming to be a former Team Kaiju employee points out that the official Team Kaiju website, kaiju.gg, now leads to a standard 404 error page. Attempts to locate the studio's LinkedIn listing also result in an error message.

The self-identified "ex-employee" remarked, "Team Kaiju doesn't appear to exist anymore," expressing well wishes for the talented former colleagues. Further investigations by gaming enthusiasts, notably the respected gaming researcher Kurakasis, revealed an absence of active employees listed under Team Kaiju on LinkedIn.

In the aftermath of the reports surrounding Team Kaiju's closure, Tencent has been observed making strategic moves in the European market. The company recently filed a trademark for a new entity named "Team Jade". While speculation abounds, the reasons behind the studio's closure and the swift emergence of Team Jade remain unclear. Tencent's rapid transition from Team Kaiju to Team Jade is closely monitored by the gaming community, eager to decipher Tencent's next strategic moves.