Wake Up Interactive

What Wake Up Interactive does

Wake Up Interactive Limited is a privately held Hong Kong-domiciled holding company that operates a group of game development studios, founded in March 2017 with stated capital of HKD 72,761,601. Its primary operating subsidiary is Soleil Co., Ltd., a comprehensive game development studio formed after Soleil absorbed Valhalla Game Studios Co., Ltd. in December 2021. The group employs approximately 130 people across its Hong Kong headquarters (Room 301, Sun Hung Kai Centre, 30 Harbour Road, Wanchai) and Tokyo office (Minato-ku, Shiba), and develops video games for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and smartphones on a work-for-hire basis for major publishers including Bandai Namco Entertainment, Nintendo, Square Enix, Aniplex, Adult Swim Games, GungHo Online Entertainment, and 110 Industries.

The product portfolio spans licensed Japanese IP titles such as NARUTO TO BORUTO Shinobi Striker (2018, Bandai Namco), SAMURAI JACK: BATTLE THROUGH TIME (2020, Adult Swim Games), and the Demon Slayer smartphone game (2020, Aniplex), alongside franchise continuations such as Valkyrie Elysium (2022, Square Enix) and Momotaro Dentetsu 2017 (Nintendo), as well as original or co-developed IP including Ninjala (2020, GungHo), Wanted: Dead (2023, 110 Industries), and the in-development multiplayer title Project EDO. The work spans action, RPG, shooter, battle royale, and board game genres across every major commercial gaming platform.

The business model is B2B professional services: subsidiary studios execute contract development for publishers, who in turn own distribution, marketing, and end-consumer relationships. Revenue derives from development fees and any associated royalties on published titles; pricing is negotiated per project rather than publicly disclosed. In November 2021, Tencent Holdings acquired Wake Up Interactive through purchase of its issued shares, making it a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Tencent Group, which provides strategic, capital, and ecosystem backing but reduces independence. Leadership comprises CEO Kikuchi Takayuki (菊地 隆行), CMO Kanno Satoshi (菅野 悟史), and directors Shin Joon Oh and Shujitsu Kaku.

Name

Wake Up Interactive

Legal name

Wake Up Interactive Limited

Website

https://wakeup-interactive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Privately held Hong Kong holding company operating Soleil Co., Ltd., a 130-person game development studio contracted by major publishers including Bandai Namco, Nintendo, Square Enix, and Aniplex to build console, PC, and mobile titles. Acquired by Tencent in November 2021.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Game Development Services

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Co-Development, Porting & Remaster Studios (MPAFAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

AAA & Premium Game Studios (PC/Console) (MPAFAAAA)

Keywords

• Video game development
• Console game development
• Mobile game development
• Game development studio
• Digital entertainment development

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Game Development Services: Subsidiary studios (Soleil) develop games under contract for publishers, receiving development fees and potentially royalties. Work-for-hire model with publishers handling distribution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Wake Up Interactive is a digital entertainment development holding company headquartered in Hong Kong that develops video games through its wholly-owned subsidiary Soleil Co., Ltd. (and formerly Valhalla Game Studios). The group develops games for home consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch), PC (Steam), and smartphones under contract with major publishers such as Bandai Namco, Nintendo, Square Enix, Aniplex, Adult Swim Games, GungHo Online Entertainment, and 110 Industries, operating on a work-for-hire/development services basis.

Product overview

Wake Up Interactive is a digital entertainment development group headquartered in Hong Kong with operations in Tokyo, operating as a holding company with subsidiary studios. The group primarily develops video games through its wholly-owned subsidiary Soleil Co., Ltd. (総合ゲーム開発), which creates games across multiple platforms including PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam), and smartphones. The portfolio spans licensed anime-based games (NARUTO TO BORUTO, SAMURAI JACK, Demon Slayer), original IP (Project EDO, Ninjala), and established franchises (Valkyrie series, Momotaro Dentetsu). Wake Up Interactive functions as a platform of game development studios rather than a single unified product, with each subsidiary contributing distinct titles to the portfolio. In November 2021, Tencent Holdings acquired Wake Up Interactive, making it part of the Tencent group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wanted: Dead Third-person action game developed by Soleil Co., Ltd. combining hack-and-slash melee combat with ranged gunfights. Released for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Steam. Published by 110 Industries.
• Valkyrie Elysium (ヴァルキリーエリュシオン) Action RPG in the Valkyrie series, developed by Soleil Co., Ltd. for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Steam. Published by Square Enix.
• SAMURAI JACK: BATTLE THROUGH TIME Action game developed by Soleil Co., Ltd. based on the SAMURAI JACK animated series. Released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. Published by Adult Swim Games.
• NARUTO TO BORUTO シノビストライカー Team battle action game developed by Soleil Co., Ltd. featuring characters from the Naruto franchise. Released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam. Published by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
• Ninjala (ニンジャラ) Competitive online action game developed with full support from Soleil Co., Ltd. for Nintendo Switch. Published by GungHo Online Entertainment.
• 鬼滅の刃 血風剣戟ロワイアル (Demon Slayer: Blood Storm Battle Royale) Smartphone battle royale game developed with full support from Soleil Co., Ltd. based on the Demon Slayer anime franchise. Published by Aniplex.
• 桃太郎電鉄2017 (Momotaro Dentetsu 2017) Board game developed by Valhalla Game Studios featuring the Momotaro character. Published by Nintendo for Nintendo 3DS.
• Project EDO Original IP multiplayer online action game combining 'NINJA' theme with high-end action gameplay. Developed by Soleil Co., Ltd.
• Vengeance is Mine Action game announced for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. Developed by Soleil Co., Ltd. Published by 110 Industries.

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SoleilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoleil Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wake Up Interactive, serving as the primary game development studio. Develops games for multiple platforms including PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and mobile.
• Valhalla Game StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValhalla Game Studios (both international and Japanese entities) was a wholly-owned subsidiary that developed titles including the Momotaro Dentetsu series. The Japanese entity was merged into Soleil in December 2021.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sumo Digital: UK-headquartered B2B game developer (Sackboy, Crackdown 3, Team Sonic Racing) acquired by Tencent in January 2022. The closest functional peer — a multi-platform contract developer that is also Tencent-owned, validating the strategic thesis behind Wake Up's ownership structure.
• PlatinumGames: Japan-based developer specializing in action games (Bayonetta, Nier:Automata) operating a hybrid self-publishing and contract development model. Directly comparable Japanese peer with similar end-to-end multi-platform development capability and tier-one publisher relationships (Square Enix, Nintendo, Sega).
• M-Two: Japan-based co-development studio founded by former Capcom staff that co-developed Resident Evil Village with Capcom. Mirrors Wake Up/Soleil's work-for-hire model serving a major Japanese publisher on a flagship AAA franchise.
• Klei Entertainment: Canadian studio (Don't Starve, Dead Cells co-developer with Motion Twin) acquired by Tencent in 2021. Closely comparable: Tencent-owned, mid-sized, mix of contract and own-IP development across multiple platforms.
• Inti Creates: Japan-based developer (Mega Man, Bloodstained series) combining contract work for publishers with self-published indie titles. Similar mid-sized Japanese studio operating in a hybrid co-development plus own-IP publishing model.
• Toylogic: Japan-based developer (Bayonetta Origins, Kid Icarus: Uprising co-development with Nintendo/Sega). Comparable mid-sized Japanese contract studio with similar multi-platform (Switch/PS/Xbox) execution and tier-one publisher partnerships.
• CyberConnect2: Japan-based studio with deep Naruto/Boruto game development history (Naruto Shippuden series) published by Bandai Namco. Direct competitor for the same Japanese anime-IP contract work that Wake Up's Soleil performs, sharing identical publisher relationships and platform mix.
• Virtuos: Singapore-headquartered global co-development and art production studio serving publishers across PS, Xbox, Switch, PC, and mobile. Most directly comparable to Wake Up/Soleil in business model (B2B contract development for AAA publishers including Square Enix, Bandai Namco) and multi-platform scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wake Up Interactive