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We’ve learned via South China Morning Post that Tencent is releasing their gaming distribution platform “WeGame” outside of China.

The WeGame platform itself was launched in September of last year. Chinese users “can watch live-streaming video games, access support tools for communication between players and developers, and download PC and stand-alone games.” A Hong Kong version of the platform is being developed, with goals to release globally.

It is likely this Hong Kong version will not have to abide China’s strict regulations on what games can be sold, and as such can bolster what Tencent can legally sell. For example, WeGame in China has around 220 titles, while Steam has over 20,000 games.

Tencent Holdings Limited is a conglomerate specializing in Internet, digital, and technology related ventures. This includes social media, instant messaging, music, e-commerce, smartphones, internet services, and of course, games. Some outlets such as Financial Review even go as far as to claim Tencent is “Asia’s most valuable company.” South China Morning Post claims Tencent runs the world’s largest gaming business by revenue.

In related news, Valve had announced last month it was providing a Steam platform in China via entertainment conglomerate Perfect World. This brings wildly popular titles like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and DOTA 2 into China; the latter being a direct rival to Tencent’s own League of Legends.

What do you all think? Who will win the battle for China’s PC gaming market? Could WeGame be a rival to Steam in the west? Sound off in the comment below!