The reigning champ of short-form video is about to diversify: TikTok’s new in-app gaming experience may be officially announced as soon as November.
Games will reportedly be featured as one of the tabs on TikTok’s home screen. As has now become standard with other mobile games, games will be accompanied by ads. Users will also be able to pay for additional content.
The platform has been testing a games offering for the past six months, according to a report from the Financial Times. The launch announcement is likely timed to coincide with “TikTok Made Me Play It,” the “global gaming event” TikTok is hosting on November 2.
Join us on Wednesday, November 2nd for TikTok Made Me Play It, our first-ever virtual global gaming event. 🎮 Register now to hear from top creators and leading publishers, and learn why the future of the gaming industry belongs on TikTok: https://t.co/QyQrLUb3QW pic.twitter.com/aqduHdxd03
— TikTok for Business (@TikTokBusiness) October 20, 2022
The choice to expand into games is interesting, especially with competitors Facebook and Snapchat shutting down their gaming platforms in the past year. With this new feature, though, TikTok joins Netflix, which launched a mobile gaming service in 2021.