Bytedance, creator of the video sharing service TikTok, is seemingly making a serious effort to get int game development. Bloomberg reports that the Chinese company is currently building up its gaming division. Targeting mobile games, these teams would be working on “hardcore or non-casual” games. Bytedance has been acquiring smaller studios, and building up its own internal team. It already has over 1,000 developers working on various gaming projects.
Two games are expected to hit this spring, which would be the company’s first. Though specifics are not yet known, Bloomberg says the developer will mainly focus on multiplayer online games with Chinese fantasy elements. Analysts see this as Bytedance’s attempt to diversify its output, and rely on revenue streams away from selling ads on TikTok and its other apps. With over a billion users worldwide, Bytedance may just be the thing that shakes up the Tencent/Netease duopoly. The games will be developed for a worldwide audience as well as local Chinese players. Bytedance is reportedly already staffing up publishing and marketing overseas, so it appears its push in the West will be massive.
