ByteDance's gaming losses have become US-based publisher Skystone Games' gains. It is now the official publisher of wildly popular MOBA Mobile Legends Bang Bang. It got temporarily banned in January due to its past connections to TikTok parent company Bytedance.
Players won't lose any of their progress in the game but will need to download a new version. Android users will get some exclusive Google Play rewards. The brief January ban had many unintended consequences for games and other apps that had worked with Bytedance.
Skystone Games, publisher of games including Hellcard and Tyrant's Realm, has been a huge beneficiary of the TikTok-related chaos. It has added both Mobile Legends Bang Bang and Second Dinner's smash-hit card battler Marvel Snap to its family.
Snap, like Mobile Legends Bang Bang, was suddenly banned without any warning because it had once been published by ByteDance. The TikTok parent company once had visions of conquering the gaming world as it has the social media scene. It was never able to make significant inroads in a Chinese gaming scene dominated by two companies: Tencent and Marvel Rivals publisher NetEase These two companies comprise more than 80 percent of the country's gaming revenue.
Mobile Legends Bang Bang is a huge acquisition for SkyStone Games. The hit MOBA boasts over 1.5 billion downloads and 110 million active users. According to Esports Charts, it is the third most popular esports game in the world, trailing only megahits League of Legends and Free Fire.
In spite of all that success, Mobile Legends Bang Bang's primary market is still Southeast Asia. Ensuring there will be no more problems with government bans in the United States is a huge and necessary step to succeed in one of the most lucrative gaming markets in the world. Looks like mid lane is open, guys.