Let be honest, Twitch and YouTube are the lone soldiers when it comes to streaming platforms for the gaming community. They don’t have any competition whatsoever. However, things are about to change as Facebook is coming up with an all-new mobile gaming app.

According to The New York Times, Facebook is launching a gaming app that targets the gaming community but also provides a platform to the casual games online that people might already be fond of. The app is set to be launched on April 20th but initially, only the android users will get the opportunity to use it. The company will release the app for iOS devices once they get its “approval.”

As a result of the pandemic, the tech world is booming. People are stuck at home and don’t have much to do but to indulge in technology. Hence, Facebook believes that now is the perfect time for the gaming app’s debut. Since the demand was high, this app, originally planned for a June launch, is being released in April.

Source: News

“Investing in gaming, in general, has become a priority for us because we see gaming as a form of entertainment that really connects people. Its entertainment that’s not just a form of passive consumption but entertainment that is interactive and brings people together.” – said Fidji Simo, the head of the Facebook app while speaking to the New York Times.

Although Facebook has always invested in gaming and has tried to build up its streaming community by making collaborative efforts with other creators, it still lags behind Twitch and YouTube. However, things are changing rapidly for Facebook as it seems to be growing and beating its own rankings.

According to a report shared by StreamElements, a streaming software company, Facebook saw a 120 percent growth in hours watched between December 2018 and 2019. Furthermore, it witnessed a six percent increase in the number of streamers and a 78% increase in the average number of viewers per hour streamed in the same timeframe.

In addition to this, Facebook is following the successful strategy of Twitch and YouTube and is now partnering up with top talents like Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrieo, Corinna Kopf, and Ronda Rousey.

“Facebook Gaming has been making incredible strides as they’ve leveraged their global presence and strategic talent acquisitions to bolster its market share in their live streaming space. By adding Ronda Rousey, a very mainstream celebrity whose into gaming, to their roster, it’s another great move since the content is king, but you need a kingdom to make it matter.” – said Doron Nir, CEO of StreamElements.

With that said, Twitch and YouTube still dominate the industry, the renewed strategy and cutting-edge tools might aid Facebook up its game. For example, Facebook is trying to further simplify the process of streaming for its users by providing a Go Live button.

Vivek Sharma, Facebook’s vice president for gaming said, “People are watching streams and they’re like, ‘I want to be a streamer.’ And with Go Live its literally just a few clicks and then, you’re a streamer.”