ByteDance readying assault on Tencent Holdings' mobile gaming kingdom

ByteDance is preparing a major push into the mobile arena’s most lucrative market, a realm Tencent Holdings has dominated for over a decade: games.

The world’s most valuable start-up has rapidly built a full-fledged gaming division to spearhead its maiden foray into hardcore or non-casual games, according to people familiar with the matter. 

Over the past few months, ByteDance has quietly bought up gaming studios and exclusive title distribution rights. It’s embarked on a hiring spree and poached top talent from rivals, building a team of more than 1,000. Its first two games from the venture will be released this spring, targeting