Apple is negotiating with Tencent about revenue sharing from mini-games in WeChat
The Chief Strategy Officer of Tencent, James Mitchell, informed investors that Apple is seeking a share of the revenue from mini-games within the WeChat app. The companies are already discussing the terms.
As Mitchell explained, currently, Tencent does not pay a commission to Apple for users' spending on mini-games. This is because the mini-games in the version of WeChat available on the App Store do not include in-app purchases. If a player wants to make a purchase, they must switch to another platform.
Bloomberg sources add that Apple is dissatisfied with this situation. Reportedly, back in May, the corporation attempted to pressure Tencent by threatening to reject important updates for WeChat if the Chinese giant does not stop bypassing its commission and redirecting mini-game users to make purchases outside of iOS. According to Bloomberg, Apple made a similar demand to ByteDance concerning mini-games in Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.
According to Mitchell, Tencent is not opposed to adding an in-app purchase option for mini-games on iOS, but only under "economically viable and fair conditions." If negotiations with Apple on the terms do not progress, everything will remain as it is.