TikTok maker ByteDance launches a new casual game store and indie publisher to take on Tencent and NetEase

The mobile game store Danjuan Games and indie publisher Pixmain represent a renewed focus on less complex games for ByteDance. The social app giant has struggled with mid-core games Art of War: Infinity Evolution and JJ Street Basket in its effort to take on its Chinese rivals. — SCMP

With the recent launch of a new casual gaming platform and independent games publisher, TikTok maker ByteDance is continuing a push into an entertainment segment in China long dominated by competitors Tencent Holdings and NetEase.

In October, ByteDance launched a new mobile-only game store called Danjuan Games, which is currently full of casual titles like puzzle games and simple side-scrollers. Then just this month, the company unveiled a new publishing arm called Pixmain at the WePlay Game Expo in Shanghai. It currently has five independently developed (indie) games in the pipeline, all of which will be available on mobile. Three will also be released for PC and one, Grimvalor, will get a version for Nintendo Switch.