ByteDance reportedly crafting Steam competitor, recruitment posts already spotted

According to a report by IT Home via Google Translate, China’s ByteDance is currently hiring people to build a platform similar to Steam called GameTop. The platform will reportedly target overseas gaming distribution.

The report mentioned that GameTop will provide users “diverse game content, creative tools, and a social space for players,” essentially making it pretty similar to social media platforms, but with the addition of also being offered games like on Steam.

User-generated content or UGC is also reportedly being added to the platform, as well as game creation, but it was not specified how these features would co-exist within the platform that ByteDance is reportedly planning to make.

The report mentioned that the creation of GameTop is a natural extension of ByteDance’s current plans, which have been in place since Zhang Yunfan took over the company’s strategic direction. Following a big-budget and aggressive expansion strategy, the company has shifted its focus to efficiency. Tom’s Hardware also reported that ByteDance plans to go “all in on game publishing.”

IT Home did not mention any dates regarding the platform’s release or where it is in its development cycle. Aside from the hiring post, there’s not much information regarding it.

ByteDance is the parent company behind TikTok, it also has subsidiaries that do game development, such as Moonton, the developers behind Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.