TikTok: Are MLBB and TikTok owned by the same company?

Are MLBB and TikTok owned by the same company?

Modified Jan 20, 2025 21:00 IST

Cover — Logos of MLBB and TikTok (Image via Moonton || ByteDance)

Following the US ban on MLBB, TikTok, and other Chinese apps, users across the country have expressed concern about the fate of their existing profiles on these games and social media platforms. The regional ruling party officially discontinued both applications simultaneously on January 19, 2025. This has sparked questions about whether the two apps share a common parent company.

This article aims to clarify that ByteDance is the parent company of both MLBB and TikTok.

Parent company of MLBB and TikTok

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MLBB was developed by Moonton, which is a subsidiary of ByteDance. The game was launched in July 2016 and is a MOBA experience where ten players compete against each other in two teams. All five players in each team have the same objective of destroying the opponents' towers while protecting their own, using the three given lanes to reach their respective targets.

TikTok, known as Duoyin in China, was also designed and published by ByteDance.

Initially, it was only released in China in September 2016, where it saw immense domestic success. This prompted the developers to launch it in the US, where it became the most downloaded app in October 2018. Features like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts were later created to satisfy the short-video-format audience and give tough competition to TikTok.

Also read: Will your Mobile Legends: Bang Bang account be deleted following the US ban?

Total revenue of MLBB and TikTok

Parent company's office (Image via ByteDance)

MLBB earned $4.23 million in its first year, which is 2016. Later, it got its highest jump in revenue when it collected approximately $87.6 million in 2017 — a staggering 2056% increase in revenue. The growth continued as more global players started purchasing items from the in-app stores, reaching up to $190.7 million by 2024.

Meanwhile, ByteDance's short-video-sharing app achieved approximately $150 million and $350 million in revenue during its first two years. In 2020, the platform's popularity grew exponentially in the United States and other countries, which led to an impressive $2.6 billion revenue boost. In the last financial year, the company is expected to garner $18.49 billion from ads and in-app purchases.

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Edited by Niladri Roy