(Yicai Global) Sept. 22 – China's The9 has obtained licenses to operate two casual game releases by Tencent-backed French developer Voodoo in China's mainland.

If everything goes as planned, the partnership should expand to a third casual game in the future, the Paper reported, citing the Shanghai-based firm's statement from yesterday.

The deal involves the French company's first game in China that is based on in-app purchases while the firm is expecting to expand its offering of hyper-casual games in the country, said Chief Operating Officer Hubert Larenaudie. 

Last month, China's Tencent Holdings bought a minority stake in the European pioneer of hyper-casual games that are known for their easy gameplay and minimalistic interfaces. Paris-based Voodoo has launched more than 100 games, with 300 million monthly active users.

The9's stock price [NASDAQ: NCTY] surged by over 6 percent intraday yesterday and ended the day 3.5 percent up at US 70 cents. 

Editor: Emmi Laine