Mobile gaming company TapZen has an $8 million investment from Tencent Holdings Ltd. amid news of its first game launch, “This Means WAR!”

The fifth-largest Internet company in the world, Tencent offers social networks such as the instant messenger Tencent QQ and operates Web portal QQ.com. It has a market value of $1.1 trillion yuan, or $178 billion.

In early 2011, Tencent gained a majority stake in West L.A. video game publisher Riot Games, creator of “League of Legends,” for more than $230 million. It also acquired a minority stake in Epic Games in June 2012.

TapZen launched in 2012 after raising a $10 million seed round from Zynga, the social game provider responsible for hit mobile apps such as Farmville and Cityville.

Staff reporter Melissah Yang can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @MelissahYang for the latest in L.A. tech news.