TikTok Owner Prepares GameTop Gaming Platform to Compete with Steam on the Global Stage
Chinese tech giant ByteDance, renowned for its popular social media platform TikTok, is making a bold move into the gaming industry by developing a new platform called GameTop.
According to sources such as ITHome, this venture is set to become a strategic cornerstone in ByteDance’s international expansion into the gaming market.
The new platform aims to offer users a wide array of games, creative tools, and social interaction features, positioning itself as a comprehensive entertainment hub.
The company has already begun recruiting operators and developers to launch and support the service, which will focus on personalized content and user-generated game creation.
ByteDance emphasizes that engaging users on the platform will require carefully crafted strategies to attract, activate, and retain the audience.
To motivate participation, the platform will feature systems of levels, points, and medals, alongside profiling capabilities that tailor the gaming experience to individual users.
This development aligns with the company’s broader restructuring of its gaming division, which in 2024 shifted toward a more pragmatic approach—moving from aggressive expansion to a focus on publishing rather than in-house development.
After acquiring studios like Moonton Technology and Lightyear, ByteDance is now refining its operational processes and improving product quality.
Multiple new games across shooter, card, and action genres are in development, with Jiangnan Studio and Zero36 Studio utilizing artificial intelligence to enhance gameplay.
Meanwhile, a game app called GameTop by Pylon Games already exists on Google Play, offering over 200 mini-games, social channels, and short-video support.
However, it remains unclear whether this app is connected to ByteDance’s new platform, which could lead to potential legal disputes over the brand name.
Last year, ByteDance announced the development of an AI model primarily trained using Huawei-made chips, responding to U.S.
restrictions that limit access to key semiconductor technology, aiming to strengthen its technological independence.