ByteDance is transferring US publishing to Skystone in major shake-up

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  • Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and more are all being moved to a new publisher
  • At least in the US, ByteDance will no longer publish their releases
  • US-based Skystone Games is taking on that job with new region-specific versions

Among the major headlines this year was the potential removal of TikTok (often referred to as its voluntary shutdown). While debates about reasons and methods dominated other media platforms, what particularly grabbed our attention in the mobile gaming world was the large number of popular games being affected by the ban!

These popular apps such as Marvel Snap, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and others were unexpectedly pulled from app stores. This move was reportedly driven by significant political pressure on ByteDance to sell off its successful social media platform.

Though TikTok has resumed operations, not all the previously announced releases have returned so swiftly. In fact, Marvel Snap was quick to declare they would find a new publisher, which eventually became Skystone, now in possession of nearly all the US-released titles that were once under ByteDance’s control.


Touch the sky

Instead of finding political drama in mobile gaming being unexpected on my list this year, it’s actually great news for most players since it suggests they can carry on playing as usual or even get a U.S.-adapted variant of their favorite game.

However, it’s important to acknowledge that this isn’t exactly the ideal resolution we were hoping for. Moreover, it’s disheartening to see our beloved games being treated as if they are pawns in a political game, and I imagine this won’t bring joy to many.

As the time approaches for TikTok to potentially be sold, we might witness the political implications regarding apps and their impact on games from the same company. This situation could serve as a precedent, possibly leading to adverse outcomes for comparable instances in the future.

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2025-03-28 15:48