China’s Tencent has agreed to buy Finnish game-maker Supercell, creator of “Clash of Clans,” from Japanese mobile firm SoftBank for USD8.6 billion. Tencent said Supercell management would retain operational independence and the firm would still be based in Finland. SoftBank had bought a 51% stake in Supercell for some USD1.53 billion in 2013 before increasing its stake to about 73% in 2015. A joint statement by the three companies said it was SoftBank’s “privilege to be part of Supercell’s incredible growth story.” Supercell Chief Executive Officer Ilkka Paananen said the company has created four top games in the past six years which are now being played by over 100 million people every day. “This new partnership offers us exciting growth opportunities in China, where we will be able to reach hundreds of millions of new gamers,” he said. Tencent in May reported a 33% surge in net profit for the first quarter of 2016, beating analyst estimates, the Shanghai Daily reports.