TikTok to launch gaming channel

TikTok is making a big push into gaming, adding a dedicated tab within the short-form video platform, its first venture into a different entertainment format.

The Chinese-owned company is the latest video platform to expand beyond video into games, one of the most lucrative entertainment industries, following Netflix’s launch of mobile games last year and filling a void left by rivals Snapchat and Facebook, which are winding down their gaming platforms.

Users will be able to access the games via a button on the homepage of what is one of the world’s most popular video apps. It will feature a host of mobile games where ads can be served and users can pay for additional content, according to four people familiar with the plans.

ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, has long developed its own games and is looking to bring titles over to the new channel, one person familiar with the strategy said. Chinese regulators have cracked down on gaming in the country over the past year, delaying approvals for new offerings and limiting the amount of time children can play video games.

Douyin, the ByteDance-owned Chinese version of TikTok, has offered so-called hyper-casual games since 2019. TikTok has been hiring gaming staff worldwide and currently has 20 roles available.

Assaf Sagy was appointed TikTok’s head of global gaming last month. Based out of Israel, the former McKinsey manager and Intel system architect joined in 2020 after spending three years at Snap.

“TikTok and gaming were made for each other,” Sagy wrote in a LinkedIn post announcing his appointment last week. “TikTok has far shown its value in helping consumers discover what’s fun, valuable, and popular. I look forward to working closely with all gaming companies globally to help make TikTok a central foundation in your marketing strategies.”