TikTok owner ByteDance, the world’s most valuable startup, has been doubling down on gaming as it moves into territory dominated by Tencent in China. After scoring a video game hit in Japan with martial arts-themed Combat of Hero, it looks like it might have another hit on its hands in China.
Basketball-themed mobile game JJ Street Basket was released on Thursday on China’s iOS App Store. Within 24 hours, it was in the second spot for top free games, according to data from app ranking platform Qimai. As with Combat of Hero, JJ Street Basket isn’t published under ByteDance’s name. Instead, the game comes from subsidiary Zhaoxi Guangnian.
ByteDance is best known for its short video app TikTok, but its sights are now set on finding growth in gaming. The Beijing-based company recently acquired a number of game studios and reportedly formed a 1,000-strong team dedicated to gaming. This has put it in competition with gaming giant Tencent, creator of hit titles PUBG Mobile and Arena of Valor, which have long been popular on iOS gaming charts.