The impact of TikTok's sponsorship of EGX on the gaming industry

TikTok has taken a significant step into the gaming world by becoming the main sponsor of EGX, the UK's largest video game show. The social media platform, which is rapidly expanding into various categories such as music and films, sees gaming content as a lucrative market. Despite the dominance of YouTube and Twitch in the gaming content industry, some creators have successfully gained a larger audience on TikTok. For example, Sophie, known as Cadaea, struggled to build an audience on Twitch for years but found success after posting gaming news and views on TikTok. TikTok's sponsorship of EGX reflects its ambition to become a major player in the gaming industry. The app, with over three billion downloads, has revised its payment program for creators, causing some debate about how much money they receive. However, brand deals and other revenue streams remain significant for creators on TikTok. Rollo Goldstaub, TikTok's UK head of gaming and sports, believes the platform can help smaller developers go viral and reach new audiences, citing the success of indie game Billie Bust Up. While TikTok faces criticism and potential bans in some countries, the platform's sponsorship of hobbies and sports aims to create positive associations with its users. TikTok currently has no plans to develop games itself but continually tests new features.