If there is one gaming franchise that is practically synonymous with first-person shooting excellence, it is – of course – Call of Duty. Having debuted with the original Infinity Ward-developed and Activision-published Call of Duty game in 2003, the series has gone from success to success since then, racking up sales of more than 400 million copies as of 2021.
From the first early 2000s Call of Duty titles to the latest well-regarded Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II in 2022, this is a franchise that is accustomed to blockbuster sales and acclaim.
So, looking at the 2023 release schedule, what can we expect from Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, which – as its title suggests – is a version of Call of Duty Warzone that has been created with mobile devices specifically in mind? Might it even exert domination over the world of mobile gaming in 2023 and beyond?
There Are More Than A Few Reasons To Get Seriously Excited About Cod: Warzone Mobile
As we touched on above, the strong cachet enjoyed by the Call of Duty franchise would surely be enough on its own to practically guarantee strong sales when the game is finally released this fall. But Activision isn’t leaving much to chance with the game’s playing experience and feature set.
In its official announcement of the game in September 2022, Activision stated that the new iOS and Android game would leverage new unified technology across COD: Modern Warfare II, COD: Warzone 2.0, and COD: Warzone Mobile.
In practice, this will mean players get to share social features such as friends and chat channels, while cross-progression with the aforementioned games will also allow for a shared Battle Pass.
As currently advertised on the Call of Duty website, COD: Warzone Mobile will also present the opportunity for players to test themselves against heightened competition, with the flagship battle royale mode allowing for as many as 120 players. Another attraction of the new game will be multiplayer modes such as Team Deathmatch and Domination.
It also must be mentioned that for Warzone Mobile, a real fan favorite has been brought back in the form of Verdansk, which was the original Warzone map. This is sure to generate goodwill among those eagerly anticipating Warzone Mobile, some of whom regard it as the finest-ever Battle Royale map.
Warzone Mobile Promises Even Greater Equality Between Mobile And Desktop
We touched on the subject of the most recent COD technology, and it is this tech that has effectively been scaled down for the mobile variant of Warzone.
So, with regard to the features on offer, Warzone Mobile is set to present the greatest parity yet between desktop and mobile. That means players can expect to be able to take advantage of features, such as enhanced reload animations and movement, that were new for Modern Warfare II.
For the same reasons, it is anticipated that the full Gunsmith system will also appear in Warzone Mobile, complete with weapon tuning, even if this only occurs after the game’s launch.
A Strong Platform For Mobile Success
A further factor that might help COD: Warzone Mobile to dominate the mobile gaming market is the fact that the already-available Call of Duty Mobile has done so much work in establishing the COD gameplay experience among smartphone owners.
It was reported in May last year that COD: Mobile had already exceeded 650 million downloads, with the number of users of the mobile version nearly matching console and PC-based COD players.
Indeed, there has been discussion as to the fate of COD: Mobile with the impending arrival of Warzone Mobile. Microsoft – which, at the time of typing, is in the process of taking over Activision – has said that it expects the older game to be “phased out over time” to make way for its newer counterpart.
However, Activision stated after the emergence of Microsoft’s comments that it would keep on supporting COD: Mobile “for the long haul”, including through a “robust roadmap of fresh new CoDM content, activities, and updates”.
Still, with the completion of Microsoft’s Activision acquisition coming ever nearer and Warzone Mobile having been designed with an impressive degree of futureproofing, it is hard to envision a situation in which the newer game won’t be prioritized.
For now, it looks like the two mobile games will exist in parallel. However, the shared battle pass and progression system for Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0 that Warzone Mobile offers will surely quickly make it the most attractive option for many players.
Such a combination of factors means that Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile looks set to rapidly command a position of dominance in the mobile gaming sector – in the process, writing a whole new chapter for the already illustrious franchise of which it is a part.
