It looks like people who use LinkedIn to look for a job or just to network with other business colleagues or partners will soon be able to play some games on the service as well.
Nima Owji, an app researcher, posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account this weekend that he had found evidence that the Microsoft-owned LinkedIn was working on these new games, and added that "companies will be ranked in the games based on the scores of their employees!"
BREAKING: #LinkedIn is working on IN-APP GAMES!
— Nima Owji (@nima_owji) March 16, 2024
There are going to be a few different games and companies will be ranked in the games based on the scores of their employees!
Pretty cool and fun, in my opinion! pic.twitter.com/hLITqc8aqw
TechCrunch later confirmed LinkedIn"s plans to add games at some point in the future via a statement with a company spokesperson:
We’re playing with adding puzzle-based games within the LinkedIn experience to unlock a bit of fun, deepen relationships, and hopefully spark the opportunity for conversations . . . Stay tuned for more!
Some of the games that LinkedIn is testing have names like Queens, Inference, and Crossclimb, according to TechCrunch. It"s possible the names could change when the games officially go live on LinkedIn.
Of course, LinkedIn"s parent company Microsoft has its own Gaming division, working on games for its Xbox consoles and the PC. It also recently announced that it will bring a few of its first-party games to PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. In this weekend"s story, TechCrunch was unable to find out from LinkedIn"s spokesperson if Microsoft"s gaming division is working on these upcoming puzzle games in any capacity. There"s also no word yet on if LinkedIn plans to monetize these puzzle games.
Recently, LinkedIn revealed that it had generated revenues of $1.7 billion from its premium subscription plans in 2023. Those plans start at $39.99 a month.