Hot Five
Hot Five: GDC 2026, ByteDance to sell Moonton, and Candy Crush’s "incredibly valuable" feedback loop
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Company Profile
ByteDance
Website
bytedance.com/en
About
ByteDance is a Chinese technology company based in Beijing, with products such as Toutiao, TikTok and more.
Accolades
Articles featuring ByteDance
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Acquisitions
ByteDance to sell Moonton to Savvy Games Group in $6bn deal
The move marks another major expansion for Savvy Games Group
Possible Acqusition
Report: ByteDance in advanced talks to sell Moonton to Savvy Games Group for up to $7bn
Sources say the transaction could close as soon as this quarter, with broad terms already agreed
Tiktok Deal
TikTok’s US sale stalls despite readiness from investors
As the deadline draws near the fate of TikTok’s US operations still remain unresolved
Possible Acqusition
Report: ByteDance is exploring the sale of Moonton to Savvy Games Group
The talks revive a previously paused plan to offload the Mobile Legends maker
Tiktok Sale
US and China reach framework agreement for TikTok sale
Follows years of political disputes over ByteDance’s ownership
Podcast | Episode 49
Trump tariffs chaos and Supercell doubles down on celebrity marketing and investments | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode 49...
Global Divisions
Political maelstrom: Trade wars and rivalries are shaking up games and tech
How the week's upheavals are creating uncertainty as to what happens next
Tiktok Pushback
TikTok deal hits roadblock as China pushes back amid Trump's tariffs
China is currently blocking any TikTok deal to ensure that Chinese laws and procedures are complied with
Hot Five
Hot Five: AppLovin wants to acquire TikTok, Supercell's film and TV ambitions, and Netflix Stories cancelled
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Tiktok Lovin
AppLovin wants to partner with "undermonetised" TikTok globally
CEO Adam Foroughi opens up on the ad tech firm's interest in acquiring TikTok and its plans for the video-sharing platform
Tick Tock
US extends TikTok sale deadline by 75 days
Buyers have until mid-June to negotiate a deal for the popular video-sharing app
Bidding War
AppLovin confirms interest in acquiring TikTok
Ad tech firm exploring purchase of video-sharing app in all markets outside of China
Before A Ban
AppLovin and Amazon rumoured among potential TikTok buyers ahead of April 5th deadline
The social media app’s original ban in January 2025 was postponed to allow more time for a sale
Publising Deal
Skystone Games takes US publishing rights for Mobile Legends as TikTok ban looms
ByteDance has been forced to relinquish publishing rights to the MOBA and Marvel Snap by US lawmakers
Tenuous Tiktok
Rumour: Microsoft is in talks to purchase TikTok, says Trump
President Donald Trump has claimed several companies have "great interest" in TikTok, including Microsoft
Gone In A Snap
US TikTok ban takes Marvel Snap and Mobile Legends offline
Mobile games by ByteDance-owned companies go dark following Supreme Court's decision to reject company's appeal against ban
Battle Of The Giants
Apple makes new enemies as it pushes Tencent and Bytedance to cough up their 30%
Never one to shy away from a fight, Apple are seeking to close loopholes in WeChat and TikTok that allow users to bypass their fees
The Law Won
TikTok kills its Lite Rewards program following EU Digital Services Act pressure
The social network's system for paying users for watching ads, liking content, following creators, and inviting friends on board is no more
Game (still) On
Moonton not for sale as Bytedance stays in the game with new CEO
Rumours of Moonton being cut adrift following Bytedance's reversal out of the games biz seem to have been premature…
Podcast | Episode 13
ByteDance's $4bn Moonton plans, tips for working with the games media, and what devs think of Unity's runtime fee | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode 13…
Week That Was
Week in Views - Bytedance's fancy footwork, Sega's soaring success and PlayStation's mobile mania
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
M&a
ByteDance sells Red Alert Online dev C4 Games for $35.8 million
Film and entertainment firm says Red Alert can generate "considerable revenue" in the future
Tiktok Troubles
TikTok files appeal over "unconstitutional" US divest-or-ban law
TikTok claims it cannot separate from ByteDance and any concerns could be addressed less restrictively
Podcast | Episode 09
Supercell's Squad Busters goes global, Embracer Group splits, and Apple's Vision Pro flops | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode 09…
Tiktok Troubles
It's bad day for TikTok as both the US and EU clamp down
TikTok faces a rewards programme ban in the EU and a complete ban in the US unless it sells up
Tiktok Ban
US faces prospect of TikTok ban as House of Representatives passes bill
State due to vote on bill
Profit Power
ByteDance profits reportedly rise 60%, surpassing Chinese competitor Tencent
ByteDance has been pulling back from gaming after TikTok has played a greater role in the company’s surging revenues and profit
Podcast | Episode 03
Inside Supercell's new development structure and TikTok's potential US ban | Week in Mobile Games podcast
The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode 03…
Pick Up The Pieces
Tencent takes on two ByteDance game studios as the social giant continues to get out of games
The teams have been combined into a single new company, Saluosi, which is 100% Tencent owned
Hot Five
Hot Five: Apple and Roblox embrace AI, a Match Factory milestone, and Warframe mobile gets further funding
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Sell Out
ByteDance to quit games? The company is in talks with Tencent over a possible sell off
The owners of TikTok are taking another step away from their gaming concerns with discussions of a possible sale to Tencent now in progress
Best Of 2023
Daniel Griffiths' top stories of 2023: AI, Unity's runtime fee farrago, and crunch time for ByteDance
From A.I. to Zelnick… PocketGamer.biz editor Daniel Griffiths picks his favourite stories from throughout 2023
Platform Power
Tencent is advertising DreamStar on ByteDance platforms in competition with NetEase
After a fierce rivalry, Tencent and ByteDance are finally warming up to one another
Dance The Blues
Crunch time for ByteDance's gaming ambitions
Big tech pulls back from gaming again
Tactical Turnaround
ByteDance to pull back from games and pull the plug on Nuverse plans
ByteDance is now looking to divest from its existing titles and halt production of new Nuverse games
Sale Rumour
ByteDance is reportedly in talks to sell Moonton
After its massive 2021 acquisition, ByteDance is supposedly looking to roll back and focus on "core business"
Best Of 2023
The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers of 2023
The movers and the shakers of the last 12 months
Milestones
Crystal of Atlan is ByteDance’s first homegrown success story
The game is their first major hit that was developed in-house
Chinese Restrictions
China to implement new restrictions on children's smartphone use
Just when it looked like China legislation was opening up, new moves to restrict the market are afoot
Tiktok Gaming
Gaming-related videos on TikTok received over three trillion views in 2022
A new report examines the app’s thriving community of gamers
Legislation
Google, Apple and others now have six months to comply with new digital markets rules
The Digital Markets Act in the EU will see digital “gatekeepers” forced to adhere to new rules
Social Mobile
ByteDance pushes Lemon8 in the USA, swerving prospective TikTok ban
The company has been the subject of privacy concerns worldwide
Licencing
China's game regulator approves 86 new games including Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
The game is immensely popular in Southeast Asia
Tiktok Trouble
Australia is the latest country to ban TikTok on government phones
The app has been subject to security concerns throughout the world
Finance
ByteDance hits record revenue of $80bn, but at the cost of gaming?
Their latest figures has them head-to-head with fellow tech giant Tencent
Tiktok Trouble
TikTok banned on government phones in the UK
The social media app has faced criticism regarding security concerns
Stakeholders
Abu Dhabi firm G42 acquires $100m+ stake in Bytedance
The owner of Nuverse and TikTok receive a new stakeholder
Tiktok In Trouble
TikTok faces fresh regulatory challenges in the EU and Canada
The European Commission has banned employees from using TikTok, while Canada has launched an investigation into the platform
Artificial Intelligence Intrigue
Are AI chatbots coming to Tencent and NetEase games?
Many technology firms are considering services like that of ChatGPT