Pony Ma Claims He 'Doesn't Believe in User Acquisition'; Community Responds: You Don't Buy It, You Own the Traffic

Recently, comments made by Pony Ma, the founder of Tencent, regarding his disbelief in 'buying traffic' (user acquisition) have stirred up quite a controversy in the gaming community. 'Buying traffic' is a standard strategy for mobile game developers to gain users, but Ma's statement has been mocked as another piece of 'internet-style humblebragging'.

The community's response has been remarkably consistent. Commenters pointed out that as the parent company of WeChat and QQ, Tencent sits atop the largest traffic pool in the Chinese internet landscape, so they have no need to pay exorbitant external advertising fees. As one user put it, this is akin to the famous tropes like 'Jack Ma regretting starting Alibaba'—because they own the largest distribution channels, their inherent traffic advantage naturally means they don't have to engage in 'buying traffic' in the traditional sense.

Furthermore, many veteran players expressed skepticism toward Tencent's repeated emphasis on 'high-quality games,' arguing that their marketing strategy changes, but the core logic remains the same: watch what they do, not what they say. This discussion, filled with 'community salt' (disdain from players), culminates in a common consensus: supported by their social media empire, Tencent truly has the leverage to thrive without the need for traditional user acquisition.