TikTok is about to launch a new, dedicated tab for mobile games, according to a Financial Times report.
The paper’s sources say that the new tab will “feature a host of mobile games where ads can be served and users can pay for additional content.”
Catalogue titles published by TikTok parent company ByteDance are said to be part of the mix, and the FT’s sources add that TikTok moderators in Europe have already been testing games ahead of the rollout.
The initiative could be announced next week as part of a ‘TikTok made me play it’ showcase which will feature the likes of EA, 2K, Playtika, VNG Games, NetEase and Homa.
“We’re always looking at ways to enrich our platform and regularly test new ideas that we think can bring value to our community,” TikTok told the FT in response to the story.
As readers of our jobs weekly column will attest, TikTok has hired a flurry of new games people in recent months, including Assaf Sagy, the platform’s new head of global gaming, who recently posted this on LinkedIn:
“TikTok and Gaming were made for each other. For more than a decade, the Gaming industry has been growing faster than any other to become one of the world’s most common forms of entertainment. With three billion active players, publishers are now launching games with the intention of creating mega brands and appealing to the masses.”
“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.”
Reports have emerged before of TikTok testing games in Vietnam ahead of a global rollout. And as the FT notes, Douyin, the ByteDance-owned Chinese version of TikTok, already features playable hypercasual games. All eyes on the TikTok made me play it event on November 2, then.
