TiMi Studio Group


TiMi Studio Group is a video game developer group based in Shenzhen. A subsidiary of Tencent Games, it operates branches in Montréal, Singapore, Los Angeles, Chengdu, and Shanghai. TiMi generated an estimated revenue of US$10 billion in 2020. Reportedly, TiMi is the largest video game operator and developer in the world by revenue. Founded in 2008 as Jade Studio, TiMi comprises several development divisions, developing titles such as Honor of Kings, Arena of Valor, Call of Duty: Mobile, Speed Drifters, ''Pokémon Unite and Delta Force.''

History

2008–2013: Origins as Jade Studio

TiMi began in 2008 as Jade Studio in Shenzhen, China. The studio debuted into the Chinese PC gaming market with QQ Speed, China's most successful racing game. As of July 2, 2019, Speed Drifters has 700 million registered users, with 200 million registered as mobile players. Following Speed Drifters, the studio released its own massive multiplayer online RPG titled The Legend of Dragon in 2010 and first-person shooter Assault Fire in 2012. In 2013, the studio released their final PC game which is a third-person shooter titled Age of Gunslingers before they made their debut into mobile gaming with the release of WeChat exclusive games such as We Match and ''We Run.''

2014–2016: Formation of TiMi Studio Group and Chinese success

In 2014, Jade Studio merged with Wolong Studio from Chengdu and Tianmeiyiyou Studio from Shanghai to form TiMi Studio Group. Following the merge, in 2015, the group's development division TiMi-L1 debuted into mobile gaming with the massive Multiplayer Online Battle Arena game, Honor of Kings. As of July 2019, Honor of Kings is the most profitable mobile game globally of the first half of 2019, earning more than $728 million.
In 2016, the division introduced the King Pro League ; an official competitive esport for Honor of Kings. The KPL marked the division' and studio group' first entry into esports.

2016–2020: Worldwide growth, Arena of Valor, Call of Duty: Mobile and Pokémon UNITE

Following the success of Honor of Kings, in 2016, the group's development division TiMi-J6 released Arena of Valor. The MOBA game was launched for mobile and Nintendo Switch in over 50 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and South America, expanding the group's reach worldwide, with more than 13 million monthly active users reported in May 2019. The game became a part of the esports demonstration event at the 2018 Asian Games, 2019 Southeast Asian Games and 2022 Asian Games.
On March 19, 2019, at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, Activision announced that they were partnering with TiMi Studio Group to develop their upcoming title, Call of Duty: Mobile. The game was developed by the TiMi-J3 division and released worldwide on October 1, 2019. As of October 4, 2019, the game has surpassed 35 million downloads and over $2 million in revenue. In December 2019, the game received an award for Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards.
In June 2020, it was announced that the studio group and The Pokémon Company are developing a new Pokémon game, which was revealed on July 21, 2021, called Pokémon UNITE, a Multiplayer online battle arena game for mobile and Nintendo Switch.

2020–2025: Team Kaiju, Code: J, Delta Force

In May 2020, the studio group announced ex-343 Industries and Ubisoft developer Scott Warner as Studio Head in North America. Scott Warner will lead TiMi's Team Kaiju, which was revealed on 15 October 2021. The subsidiary is working on one unnamed first-person-shooter game for the PC and console market.
On June 27, 2020, the studio group and SNK announced a new unnamed mobile game, Code: J, for the classic arcade franchise Metal Slug.
In November 2020, the studio group announced that Honor of Kings set a record of 100 million average daily active users worldwide.
In July 2021, the group established a new division located in Canada, Montréal. The division's classification is TiMi-F1 and the development focus is an AAA open-world game.
In May 2021, the studio group announced a strategic partnership with Xbox Game Studios.
In June 2022, TiMi L1 Studio, a development division of the group, announced a strategic partnership with Level Infinite on publishing Honor of Kings world-wide, where Level Infinite will take over the publishing, eSports, but TiMi the operations and community. The five versus five video game in the multiplayer online battle arena genre will adapt on areas where TiMi L1 Studio's Arena of Valor have a shared eSports with in Honor of Kings World Championship, under TiMi eSports, but did not reach the expected player base.
Honor of Kings was launched worldwide on June 20, 2024, following pre-releases in Brazil and Turkey as well as countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Delta Force, a free-to-play first-person tactical shooter video game, was first released on iOS, Android, and Microsoft Windows in mainland China in September 2024, and then released on Microsoft Windows platforms in other parts of the world in December of the same year. The "Black Hawk Down" DLC was released in February 2025.
Delta Force was landed on iOS and Android platforms worldwide on April 21, 2025 and get the top1 downloads in 169 regions.

2025-present: Chinese Military Company

In January 2025, TiMi Studio Group's parent Tencent was labelled as a Chinese military company by the United States Department of Defense.

List of games

YearTitleGenrePlatformDevelopment division
2007QQ Three KingdomsMassively multiplayer online role-playingMicrosoft WindowsL1
2008QQ Speed RacingMicrosoft WindowsJ1
2011The King of Dazzling Fighters / King of CombatFightingMicrosoft WindowsJ1
2012The Legend of DragonMassively multiplayer online role-playingMicrosoft WindowsZ1
2012Assault FireFirst-person shooterMicrosoft WindowsJ3
2013Age of GunslingersThird-person shooterMicrosoft WindowsJ3
2013We MatchCasualAndroid, iOST1
2013Parkour EverydayCasualAndroid, iOST1
2013We DriftCasualAndroid, iOSJ1
2014We FightCasualAndroid, iOSL1
2014Fantasy FightersFightingAndroid, iOSJ1
2015Crossfire MobileFirst-person shooterAndroid, iOSJ3
2015Honor of KingsMultiplayer online battle arenaAndroid, iOSL1
2016Arena of ValorMultiplayer online battle arenaAndroid, iOS, Nintendo SwitchL1
2016The Legend of Dragon: MobileMassively multiplayer online role-playingAndroid, iOSZ1
2017Contra ReturnsRun and gunAndroid, iOSJ1
2017King of ChaosRole-playingAndroid, iOST1
2017QQ Speed: Mobile / Garena Speed DriftersRacingAndroid, iOSJ1
2018PUBG Army AttackBattle royaleAndroid, iOSJ3
2018Battle Through The HeavensMassively multiplayer online role-playingAndroid, iOSZ1
2018Saint Seiya: AwakeningTurn-based strategy role-playingAndroid, iOSL1
2019Let's Catch Demons Together! / Let's Hunt MonstersCasualAndroid, iOSJ1
2019Call of Duty: MobileShooterAndroid, iOSJ3
2021Pokémon UniteMultiplayer online battle arena, real-time strategyAndroid, iOS, Nintendo SwitchJ1
2022Age of Empires: Return to Empirereal-time strategyAndroid, iOST1
2023Metal Slug: AwakeningRun and gunAndroid, iOSJ1
2023Party StarsBattle-royal, racing, partyAndroid, iOST1
2024Need for Speed MobileRacingAndroid, iOSJ1
2024Delta ForceFirst Person ShooterAndroid, iOS, PlayStation, Xbox, PCJ3
TBAHonor of Kings: WorldAction-adventureTBAL1
TBAMonster Hunter OutlandersTBDMobile devices and phonesJ1
TBACrossfire: Rainbow First person/Third person shooter, Extraction shooterPC and consolesJ1