TikTok Reportedly Considering Push Into Video Games
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

TikTok Reportedly Considering Push Into Video Games

TikTok reportedly plans to make a major push into gaming, with the social media giant said to be already testing video game features on its app.

The Culver City-based video-sharing platform, which is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, has conducted tests that let users in Vietnam play games within its app, Reuters reported Thursday. TikTok aims to roll out gaming more widely in Southeast Asia, possibly as soon as the third quarter of this year, according to the report.


When reached by dot.LA for comment, a TikTok spokesperson denied that the company is testing games in Vietnam, but declined to say whether it is testing games in other countries or if it plans to expand into gaming more widely. They added that the firm is always considering new features for its users.

According to TikTok, the only game currently available to users on its platform is Zynga's "Disco Loco 3D,” a music and dance challenge mini-game that launched in November. Reuters, however, reported that TikTok’s ambitions extend beyond mini-games limited to basic game play and short play times.

TikTok—already the world’s most popular website and most downloaded app—could use video games to drive even more user engagement and advertising revenue. The video game industry has seen revenues skyrocket since the pandemic and is especially popular among millennial and Gen Z consumers, who make up a huge part of TikTok’s user base.

Other social media companies, including Santa Monica-based Snap, have already incorporated video games into their apps. Streaming giant Netflix has also pushed into gaming, adding more than a dozen mobile titles as part of its strategy to hang onto subscribers.

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Decerry Donato

Decerry Donato is a reporter at dot.LA. Prior to that, she was an editorial fellow at the company. Decerry received her bachelor's degree in literary journalism from the University of California, Irvine. She continues to write stories to inform the community about issues or events that take place in the L.A. area. On the weekends, she can be found hiking in the Angeles National forest or sifting through racks at your local thrift store.

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