China gaming crackdown: ByteDance cuts ‘hundreds of jobs’ from its video game operations in Shanghai and Hangzhou, sources say

The Beijing-based company has laid off or transferred most of its staff at Wushuang Studio, according to sources. Before a government crackdown, ByteDance had been relying on gaming as one area where it could diversify its revenue streams. — SCMP

ByteDance, TikTok’s owner, is aggressively downsizing its video gaming unit, affecting hundreds of employees, in a fresh sign that the smart money in China is continuing to exit the heavily regulated industry, according to people familiar with the situation.

The Beijing-based company, which only one year ago was pouring millions into its gaming operations, has stripped Shanghai-based Wushuang Studio of most of its staff through lay-offs and internal transfers, after the closure of 101 Studio in June, said the people familiar, who declined to be named as the information is not public yet.