Facebook Now Wants To Take On Twitch, YouTube With Its New Gaming App

Today, Facebook will launch its own mobile gaming app to challenge the current dominance of YouTube and Twitch in the live game-streaming market, according to The New York Times. Facebook Gaming, the social giant’s free gaming app, is created for those who are already playing online games but also offer casual games as well as access to gaming communities.

Head of the new app Fidji Simo said:

“Investing in gaming in general has become a priority for us because we see gaming as a form of entertainment that really connects people. It's entertainment that's not just a form of passive consumption but entertainment that is interactive and brings people together.”

Initially, the tech giant planned to launch the app in June. However, it has pushed up the launch by a few months due to the CO.VID-19 pandemic, which has made people stay home more than ever.

By launching this app, Facebook is testing the popularity of esports, where top gamers from across the globe battle against each other over the internet in various games. In 2019, esports were worth over $1 billion and the number is still going up.

There are over 700 million Facebook users playing games, watching gaming videos, or posting in gaming groups. Also in 2019, the tech giant introduced a gaming tab in the Facebook app for those playing games online, watching gaming, or interacting with other gamers.

And recently, as many countries are either on lockdown or people are in quarantine, Facebook expanded the gaming tournament feature for global users, helping them entertain and socializing at the same time. The feature lets users host tournaments, which is similar to creating a Facebook event, stream heir own gameplay, and more.

>>> Facebook Gaming Expands The Tournaments Feature To All Users So You Can Socialize During The Lockdown