Facebook Gaming expands cloud offering amid metaverse rumors

Facebook Gaming is expanding its cloud offering. The service will offer seven new games via the cloud, including titles from major intellectual properties like Harry Potter. The announcement comes amid rumblings that Facebook might be changing its company name as it attempts to refocus the brand on its metaverse efforts.

Facebook launched its cloud gaming platform last October with six titles. Since then, the library has grown to 45 games. The recent expansion included a partnership with Ubisoft that brought mobile game Assassin’s Creed Rebellion to Facebook Gaming.

Seven games are included in the new batch. The list includes Family Guy: Another Freakin’ Mobile Game, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, and Disney Emoji Blitz. In addition to that, developer My.Games is bringing four new games to the platform throughout the fourth quarter of 2021,t including tower defense game Rush Royale, Hustle Castle, Left to Survive, and Mushroom Wars.

While the games themselves aren’t big, the timing is notable. Just this week, rumors began to emerge that Facebook will change its company name soon. According to a report from The Verge, Facebook wants to better align its brand with its lofty metaverse efforts.

At the moment, gaming plays a major role in the budding metaverse. Epic Games is also racing to create its own piece of the metaverse, and games like Fortnite play a major role in that. While cloud gaming itself isn’t inherently part of a potential metaverse, it does help build toward Facebook’s supposed goal of creating “interconnected virtual experiences.”

News on Facebook’s branding change is expected by October 28, the date of the company’s Connect conference.