Activision Blizzard has insisted it remains “committed” to Call of Duty: Mobile after Microsoft recently told UK regulators the game could be “phased out” over time with the full launch of Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile this year.
Microsoft made the claims in its latest response to the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, which is currently investigating the company’s proposed $69BN USD acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In a paragraph on divestment, Microsoft noted, “Call of Duty: Mobile is expected to be phased out over time (outside of China) with the launch of Warzone Mobile.”
Call of Duty: Mobile – a free-to-play spin on the juggernaut franchise, developed by Tencent subsidiary TiMi Studio – launched in 2019 and has been a massive success for Activision, generating $3BN in its first year alone.
Unsurprisingly, Call of Duty: Mobile players – many of whom have forked out for likes of premium skins over the years – were perturbed by Microsoft’s suggestion the game could soon be usurped by a newer mobile entry in the series. Now, though, Activision has moved to assure players CoD: Mobile isn’t going anywhere, insisting it will support the game “for the long haul”.
“We are committed to Call of Duty: Mobile as an important part of the entire Call of Duty franchise and our overall mobile strategy,” the company wrote in a statement shared on Twitter. “We have the best fans in the world and intend to continue supporting the game with a robust roadmap of fresh new Call of Duty: Mobile content, activities, and updates for the long haul.”
Activision revealed it would be bringing its hugely popular free-to-play battle royale game Call of Duty: Warzone to mobile – built from the ground up for the platform by in-house developer Digital Legends – in an announcement last March. It’s currently available as a limited release across select countries, with a full launch expected later this year.
