For visual novel fans, especially the ones who still carry emotional damage from Clannad and Air, the 2023 Tencent acquisition of Visual Arts was always going to raise eyebrows.
Big company buys beloved Japanese studio? Confirm got people worried, lah. Would the stories change? Would the business side start pushing the creative team around? Would Key-style emotional writing get sanded down for global market vibes?
According to Visual Arts CEO and president Genki Tenkumo, the answer so far is: no.
In a new interview with GameWatch, Tenkumo said Visual Arts has kept full independence over game production since becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Tencent in July 2023. He said Tencent has not stepped into the studio’s creative process, with the main changes instead happening on the corporate side — specifically accounting and management systems being brought up to global standards.
That may sound boring, but for a studio like Visual Arts, boring business stability is actually good news. Tenkumo said the company’s management is now more stable, and he believes the goal behind the Tencent deal has been achieved.
Why Visual Arts sold to Tencent in the first place
Tenkumo became CEO around the same time as the acquisition, taking over from former president Takahiro Baba. Baba had previously explained in 2023 that Visual Arts was a private company where he personally held 100% of the shares.
That created a long-term risk. Baba was 63 at the time, and while he was healthy, he was concerned about what might happen to the company if something happened to him. For a studio with decades of games, music, characters and fan memories attached to it, that is not a small issue.
The goal was not simply to cash out. Baba wanted to protect Visual Arts as a company and make sure the rights to its games and music did not end up in a messy situation later. Since the company was not ready to pursue a public listing, selling to a suitable buyer became the practical route.
After a long selection process and agreement from staff, Tencent became the buyer.
Why Malaysian and SEA fans should care
Visual Arts and Key are not just random names in the visual novel scene. Their works helped define the emotional nakige style — stories built to absolutely wreck you, usually with romance, family, tragedy and healing all mixed together.
For SEA fans, especially those who discover visual novels through Steam, anime adaptations or fan recommendations, studio independence matters. If Tencent ownership had changed the kind of stories Visual Arts makes, it would directly affect the future of one of the genre’s most recognisable names.
So Tenkumo saying the creative side remains untouched is reassuring. It suggests future Key and Visual Arts titles can still be made with the same internal identity, instead of feeling like products designed by a giant parent company spreadsheet.
This also matters because visual novels have become more accessible in Malaysia and the region. We are no longer in the era where fans had to rely only on imports or niche forums. Steam releases, digital storefronts and international localisation mean more SEA players can actually buy and play these games legally without jumping through too many hoops.
What’s next for Visual Arts
The timing is interesting because Visual Arts is preparing to release anemoi on April 24 in Japan. It is the company’s first full-priced visual novel in more than seven years, and Tenkumo is also involved as a producer under the name Touya Okano.
The Japan launch comes first, but an international Steam release is planned for the near future. That is the part SEA fans should watch closely, because Steam will likely be the easiest route for Malaysian players.
Visual Arts has also announced a new development label called Visual Arts Scripts, with three titles already revealed. Combined with anemoi, it looks like the company is not slowing down after the Tencent deal.
For now, the main takeaway is simple: Visual Arts says it is still Visual Arts. For fans who care about the heartache, music and slow-burn storytelling that made Key famous, that is probably the best possible update.
Source: Automaton Media