As of October 28, 2022, the Facebook Gaming app for Android and iOS will be discontinued, marking another project cancellation by Meta.
Users were informed today via a direct message from the Gaming team that the Gaming tab in the main Facebook app and on the web browser would be the only place where they could access Facebook Gaming after this date.
No need to freak out just yet whether you’re a fan of a Gaming streamer or a content developer on the network. With that in mind, it’s prudent to consider other alternatives alongside your Gaming venture, in case the service is further reduced.
Facebook Gaming: Over?
This isn’t the first Facebook app cancellation this year. Facebook Live Shopping, Podcasts, Meta’s Novi digital wallet, and its reported Apple Watch competition have all died. Meta is reducing unprofitable ventures to enhance its financial performance.
Gaming has gotten off easy with merely its app being removed; may this change? Possible, but not a given.
Meta, an alternative to Twitch and YouTube, has attracted 1.4 billion views thus far this year (via Streamlabs). Sure, that’s behind Twitch and YouTube, but the platform is far from hopeless.
Meta may be streamlining its services. Why would anyone download Gaming if the main app has more features? Why waste efforts producing it if it’s not popular?
YouTube made a similar move with its Gaming app in 2019; its live streaming and gaming activities are still operating.
We’ll have to watch what Meta cancels next, but Facebook Gaming seems safe for now.