Launched in 2019, Call of Duty: Mobile is a first-person shooter developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by Activision for Android and iOS devices. Android and iOS devices. The game became a major hit right after its launch, mainly because it’s free-to-play. Within its first year, it made over $480 million and was downloaded 270 million times around the globe. Besides being available through Activision, the game was also distributed in different regions with help from partners like Garena, Tencent Games, VNG Corporation, and TiMi Studio Group.
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Game Functions
In multiplayer mode, players can choose to join either ranked games or casual ones. You can enjoy the game fully without spending any money, but some special character outfits and weapon skins are only available for purchase with COD Points. Besides the standard matchmaking, players can set up private rooms for both multiplayer and battle royale modes, allowing them to invite friends to play and compete together.
Multiplayer Online
In the multiplayer part of the game, players get into first-person shooting battles just like in earlier Call of Duty games. They can use special weapons called “Scorestreaks” when they reach certain goals and earn points. There are also various temporary modes that change regularly, such as Prop Hunt, Rapid Fire, Sticks and Stones, 2v2, Capture the Flag, One Shot One Kill, Snipers Only, Gun Game, and Undead Siege. These various modes offer a range of gameplay experiences to cater to different player preferences.
Battle for Supremacy
The game features battle royale modes where up to 100 players can compete against each other. You can play solo, in pairs, or in teams of four. At the start of each game, players choose an ability, like healing or creating launch pads. After that, everyone boards a plane that flies in a straight line across the map, with the flight path changing every game. Each squad has a jump leader who decides where and when the team will land, but players can choose to jump out on their own if they want. Starting with just a knife, players explore the map to find weapons, vehicles, and items that help them fight and survive.Certain regions highlighted in yellow hold premium loot. As the game progresses, the safe zone on the map gets smaller, and players outside it will be eliminated if they stay too long. The goal is to be the last player or team left standing. The battle royale mode also includes special limited-time variations like Sniper Challenge, Battle Royale Alcatraz, Battle Royale Blackout, 20v20 Warfare, and Battle Royale Blitz. There’s also a mixed mode called Ground War: Skirmish that combines multiplayer and battle royale elements.
Corpse Monsters
The Zombies mode was introduced in November 2019 with the Shi No Numa map, where teams had to defend against ongoing waves of zombies. Players could choose between Endless Survival Mode, where zombies keep coming, or Raid Mode, which includes a set number of waves and ends with a boss fight. In August 2021, a new mode called Undead Siege was introduced. In this mode, teams of four protect a teleportation device from zombies, gathering supplies during the day to prepare for the nighttime attacks. Daytime Side Missions, such as dealing with the Butcher or moving Aether Crystals, are also part of the gameplay. Casual mode requires surviving for three nights, while the higher difficulties last up to five nights. Classic Zombies mode made a return in October 2022, bringing back the Shi No Numa map.
Creation and Premiere
Call of Duty: Mobile was officially announced in March 2019, with TiMi-J3, a branch of TiMi Studio Group from Tencent Games, leading its development. The announcement showcased many features of the game, aiming to bring the familiar Call of Duty experience to mobile devices. The intention was to include elements from previous console games to provide a strong gameplay experience for fans. The game features two types of in-game currency and a battle pass system for unlocking rewards as players progress.
Activision released the game in Europe, North America, and Latin America on September 30, 2019, while Tencent Games launched it in South Korea on October 1, 2019. VNG Games collaborated with Activision and TiMi Studios to release the game in Vietnam on April 20, 2020, after its global launch.
Call of Duty: Mobile includes many characters, maps, and modes from earlier games in the series to offer a varied gaming experience. It provides multiple control settings to suit different player preferences, ensuring a customizable experience on mobile devices. In November 2019, a “Zombies” mode was added, featuring classic survival gameplay where players fought off waves of zombies to stay alive. A “Raid” mode was also introduced, where players faced zombie waves before battling final bosses. However, the Zombies mode was removed from the game on March 25, 2020, because it didn’t meet Activision’s quality standards.
Gaming Tournaments
The Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship 2020 Tournament was the game’s first major foray into competitive esports, organized by Activision Blizzard and Sony Mobile Communications. The tournament featured a prize pool of over $1 million, which included both cash prizes and in-game rewards. Teams that qualified through four online qualifiers from April 20 to May 24, 2020, competed, with participants coming from the game’s top-ranked players. For the 2021 tournament, the prize pool reportedly grew to $2 million, although specific details were not provided.
Audience Reaction
Call of Duty: Mobile received overall positive feedback, according to Metacritic. IGN praised the game as the best handheld version of the franchise, highlighting its rewarding progression system and a variety of fun modes, including a standout battle royale experience. GameSpot noted some concerns about the microtransaction setup but recognized that the game successfully captures the exciting multiplayer action of the main series. Polygon agreed, appreciating that the game keeps the core feel of the franchise without being watered down.
The game achieved impressive success upon release. In its first month, it was downloaded over 148 million times and earned nearly $54 million, making it the largest mobile game launch at that time. By October 2020, these figures had grown to over $480 million in revenue and 270 million downloads. By May 2021, it had surpassed 500 million downloads, cementing its place as one of the most successful mobile games ever.
