TikTok creator ByteDance snaps up the maker of the biggest mobile game in South-East Asia, putting on an eSports collision course with Tencent

ByteDance is acquiring Moonton Technology for an undisclosed amount amid an ongoing lawsuit with Tencent, which alleges intellectual property infringement. Moonton’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is one of the biggest mobile games in South-East Asia, where Tencent has struggled to make headway with Honour Of Kings. — SCMP

TikTok maker ByteDance announced on Monday its biggest video game acquisition to date with Moonton Technology, which is being bought for an undisclosed amount by the company’s Nuverse studio, netting the tech giant one of the biggest mobile games in South-East Asia as it seeks to rival Tencent Holdings as an equal in the industry.

Moonton is the maker of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, which surpassed one billion downloads in November, according to the company. The acquisition gives ByteDance what could be its first eSports-calibre title, something it has been lacking as it has sought to monetise its large social media user base through other channels, a strategy successfully deployed by Tencent.