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TikTok owner ByteDance has acquired the Chinese studio behind Red Alert Online

ByteDance has acquired Red Alert Online developer C4games through its Nuverse subsidiary for an undisclosed fee.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

April 14, 2021

1 Min Read
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ByteDance has acquired Red Alert Online developer C4games through its Nuverse subsidiary for an undisclosed fee. 

As reported by Reuters, the Chinese company, which owns and operates popular social media platform TikTok, purchased C4games as part of its push into the lucrative mobile games market. 

The news comes a few weeks after ByteDance bought Shanghai-based studio Moonton Technology, best known for developing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.

Last year, Bloomberg reported that ByteDance had already purchased a number of development studios along with the exclusive distribution rights to other titles. People "familiar with the matter" told the publication ByteDance intended to target the local and overseas non-casual market, challenging the dominance of Tencent along the way.

"[ByteDance's] massive global user base and investment in gaming could make it a big disruptor in the gaming space this year," said Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad at the time, speaking to Bloomberg.

"[However,] while they may be able to develop a number of hit titles in the China market, we believe it will still be difficult for them to truly challenge Tencent."

About the Author

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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