An interesting step for Mobile Legends to try to enter China. ByteDance brings Mobile Legends to China and seems to be trying to compete against Tencent. Until now, no one has been able to resist Tencent’s immense dominance thanks to their active presence there. In addition, there are many companies as subsidiaries of Tencent, for example Riot Games, which is also dominant in China. This is certainly not an easy thing for Mobile Legends and ByteDance.
For those who don’t know, ByteDance is the company that owns TikTok, so the reach is pretty big. With this they try to bring Mobile Legends which they have indirectly because they bought Moonton.
Mobile gaming in China is indeed very large and fast which is dominated by many games. But for the market, Tencent is very strong and dominant there. Game of Peace and King of Glory for example, Tencent is holding it.
ByteDance Brings Mobile Legends To China
Currently if we talk about the mobile MOBA market in China, there are several big ones. The biggest one was KoG first, followed by Wild Rift. Both are owned by Tencent which is a huge achievement.
The entry of Mobile Legends can be said to make many people skeptical. The reason is that on several Chinese social media such as Weibo, before Mobile Legends came in or there were plans, many people didn’t like it.
This is because some netizens in China consider Mobile Legends to be a more inferior game because they copy several designs and hero skills. But this factor is not enough to be a determining factor.
Strict Chinese Gaming Regulations
All video game publishers and developers in China must comply with government regulations. This is too much to mention and indeed this rule is absolute and cannot be contested.
If their game does not pass the test from the committee then the game will be banned from entering and circulating legally. This is the first step of Mobile Legends and ByteDance that they have to go through.
Next is the market share from China itself. Almost all MOBA gamers in China play KoG and it seems to be very difficult to switch games. Wild Rift’s success there is also due to the more popular LoL name.
Returning to the regulations in China, Mobile Legends and Moonton, which had their names tarnished thanks to the case with Tencent/Riot, could also be determinants of public opinion. From here ByteDance must be smart.
Promotion Looks Not Difficult
Keep in mind that Moonton is now under ByteDance. If you look at China, there are three companies that really stand out in media and video games. These companies are Tencent, NetEase, and ByteDance.
If we only talk about video games, Tencent and NetEase are the kings. The two are very competitive even though Tencent is already too big and the market share for NetEase is not that massive.
ByteDance holding TikTok and Douyin had an excellent start. At least their reach could be very wide and the demographics could also be more diverse if they played their cards right.
MPL CN is certainly awaited by many people and if they can get a solid pro scene, this could be an advantage for Mobile Legends and ByteDance. Douyin can certainly be the most appropriate promotion place for this game. Keep practicing, play wisely and don’t become a toxic player!
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