Meta is rolling back yet another of its projects by shutting down its Facebook Gaming app on Android and iOS smartphones from October 28, 2022.
The news was delivered to Facebook Gaming users today via a direct notice from the Facebook Gaming team letting them know that after this date Facebook Gaming will be relegated to the Gaming tab in the regular Facebook app and Facebook on their web browser.
So, if you’re an avid fan of a Facebook Gaming streamer or are a content creator on the platform yourself there’s not too much of a need to panic yet. That said, this is a good reminder to think about exploring opportunities on rival platforms alongside your Facebook Gaming venture just in case the service gets rolled back anymore.
Analysis: Is Facebook Gaming doomed?
This Facebook Gaming app cancelation is far from the first we’ve seen this year. Facebook Live Shopping, Facebook Podcasts, Meta’s Novi digital wallet, and its rumored Apple Watch rival have all gone the way of the dodo. These moves are part of Meta’s continued efforts to improve its financial performance by cutting ventures that it doesn’t see as profitable.
But right now Facebook Gaming has got off pretty lightly with only its app being scrapped, could we see it cut back even more? It's certainly possible, but not a forgone conclusion by any stretch.
Meta’s answer to Twitch and YouTube streaming might not have as much notoriety as its rivals, but the platform has still been able to attract roughly 1.4 billion views so far this year (via Streamlabs). Sure, that’s a fair bit behind the 11.8 billion and 2.3 billion views pulled in by Twitch and YouTube respectively, but the platform is far from doomed right now.
Instead, it seems likely that Meta is just making its services more streamlined. If the general Facebook app offers everything Facebook Gaming does and more why would people download the less feature-packed app? And if it’s not popular why should Meta continue to waste resources on developing it?
As pointed out by The Verge, YouTube made a similar move with its Gaming app back in 2019, and its live streaming and gaming services are still active today. ,
We’ll have to wait and see what Meta cancels next, but for now it looks like Facebook Gaming won’t be returning to the chopping block for a while longer.
