Call of Duty: Mobile

Last updated

Call of Duty: Mobile
CODM logo.png
Developer TiMi Studio Group
Publishers
Writer Brian Bloom
Series Call of Duty
Engine Unity
Platforms Android
iOS 12 or later
iPadOS
HarmonyOS
HarmonyOS Next
Windows
ReleaseSeptember 29, 2019;6 years ago (September 29, 2019)(Southeast Asia)
October 1, 2019;6 years ago (October 1, 2019) (Internationally)
Genres First-person shooter
Third-person shooter
Modes Multiplayer
Battle royale

Call of Duty: Mobile is a shooter video game developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by Activision for Android and IOS. Released as a free-to-play title, it was one of the largest mobile game launches in history, generating over US$480 million with 270 million downloads within a year. Call of Duty: Mobile was published in other regions by Garena, Tencent Games, VNG Corporation and TiMi Studio Group.

Contents

Gameplay

Gameplay of Call of Duty: Mobile. The game completely copies the previous "older" parts of its series (the picture shows the Crossfire map from the Modern Warfare subseries). CoD-Mobile-Gameplay.jpg
Gameplay of Call of Duty: Mobile. The game completely copies the previous “older” parts of its series (the picture shows the Crossfire map from the Modern Warfare subseries).

The games two primary modes are multiplayer and battle royale. Players can choose to play ranked or non-ranked matches. Apart from standard matchmaking, a private room for both of these modes can also be accessed where players can invite and battle with their in-game friends. The game includes two types of in-game currencies: "Credits", which are earned through playing the game, and "COD Points", which are bought with real-world money. It is possible to play the full game without paying, though some exclusive character and weapon skins can only be bought with COD Points.


Seasonal updates

Call of Duty: Mobile has a seasonal update system. New weapons, skins, maps, and limited-time events are added through the Battle Pass each season. [1] Seasons also include special challenges and game modes that reward players with in-game items and experience points. [2] This system helps keep players engaged and keeps the game fresh each season.

Characters, weapon skins, and events are all designed with a specific theme in mind for each season. These themes frequently show teamwork, futuristic details, or military environments. Each season has a similar identity because to the theme-based format. The Battle Pass is divided into free and premium tiers. Players can unlock rewards. Character skins and special decorations are examples of premium prizes. Seasonal updates often include limited-time events. [3] . Special objectives, changing game modes, and login rewards are frequently included in these events. Rewards are no longer available after the event finishes. Season updates also include technical improvements and bug fixes. Developers can adjust weapon performance and game mechanics to maintain balance. These updates support the game's long-term development as a live service title. [4]

Multiplayer

The multiplayer mode is a first-person shooter similar to previous Call of Duty games. The game also has 'Scorestreaks,' which are special weapons that become available as the player reaches certain point thresholds. The primary modes which the game features include Team Deathmatch, Frontline, Domination, Hardpoint, Search and Destroy, Control, Free For All, and Kill Confirmed. Additionally, the game features special and limited multiplayer modes that last for varying lengths of time. These include: Prop Hunt , [5] Rapid Fire, Sticks and Stones, [6] 2v2, [7] Capture the Flag, [8] One Shot One Kill, [9] Snipers Only, [10] Gun Game, [11] and Attack of the Undead among others.

Battle Royale

The game also includes battle royale modes featuring up to 100 players. Players can choose to play solo, in a duo, or in a four-man squad. At the start of a match, all players choose an ability from healing to making a launch pad. Once all 100 players are ready, they board a transport plane that flies across the map in a randomized trajectory. This flight path changes every game. Every team is automatically given a jump leader who decides when and where the team will land, However, players can choose to break away and jump independently if they prefer. [12]

Each player starts with a melee as their only weapon. Scattered across the map are various weapons, vehicles, and equipment that players can use to eliminate enemies and increase their chances of survival. The mode has high tier loot zones (marked in yellow on the map) that provide players with better items. The safe zone gradually shrinks as the match progresses, forcing players to move inward. Those who remain outside the zone for too long will take continuous damage and eventually be eliminated. The last surviving player or team wins the match. Battle royale also has limited modes like Sniper Challenge, Battle Royale Alcatraz, Battle Royale Blackout, 20v20 Warfare, and Battle Royale Blitz. The game also features an MP/BR hybrid mode known as Ground War: Skirmish.

Additional Battle royale Info

Zombies

A Zombies mode was added in November 2019. It featured one map called Shi No Numa. It placed teams of players against zombies that attacked in waves. It was playable in Endless Survival Mode, which ran like the classic Call of Duty: World at War experience, and Raid Mode, which threw a set number of waves at the players before transitioning to a boss encounter. The players could choose whether to play it on Normal or Heroic difficulty. [13] The mode was removed in March 2020 due to it not reaching the desired level of quality. [14] [15] This mode was added back to the game in October 2022, again only featuring the Shi No Numa map. [16]

Undead Siege, a zombie survival mode, was added into the game in August 2021. In it, a team of four players have to survive and protect their teleportation device from continuous waves of zombies. During the day, players have to collect supplies which are used during the night to survive against a horde of zombies. [17] In addition, players during the day also take part in Daytime Side Missions, which include the Butcher, breaking the Aether Crystal Cluster, feeding 10 zombies to Cerberus and helping transport a big Aether Crystal. The mode has 3 difficulties - Casual, Hardcore and Nightmare. In casual, the team only has to survive for 3 nights while in other difficulties, the team has to survive for 5 nights.

DMZ: Recon

DMZ: Recon is a specialized extraction-based game mode in the first-person shooter Call of Duty: Mobile. Developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by Activision, the mode was officially released on December 11, 2025, as a centerpiece of the game's "Season 11: 6th Anniversary" update. Inspired by the DMZ mode originally introduced in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, DMZ: Recon represents the game's first major foray into the "extraction shooter" genre, blending open-world exploration, tactical combat, and permanent-loss mechanics.

Gameplay

DMZ: Recon is a PvPvE (Player vs Player vs Environment) mode where squads of up to three players deploy into a large-scale map with the primary objective of looting valuables and successfully extracting.

Core Loop

Upon deployment, players must navigate the environment to complete "Contracts"—in-match objectives such as securing intel, eliminating high-value targets, or cracking safes—to earn cash and gear. Unlike standard multiplayer or Battle Royale modes, players do not automatically win by being the last survivor; victory is defined by reaching an "Exfil Point" and successfully departing via helicopter, boat, or train.

Risk and Reward

The mode features a "persistent inventory" system. Gear and items extracted from a successful run are stored in a player's "Warehouse" for use in future matches. Conversely, if a player is killed and fails to extract, they lose all equipment carried in that session, including weapons, armor plates, and collected loot.[9] To mitigate these risks, players can utilize "Insured Slots," which allow selected weapons to return to the player after a cooldown period if lost in the field.

Environmental Hazards

Matches are governed by a time limit, after which a "Radiation Cloud" begins to expand from a localized point on the map. This radiation eventually covers all standard extraction points, forcing remaining players to fight for a final "Emergency Exfil" before the match concludes.

Maps

At launch, DMZ: Recon featured two distinct maps tailored for extraction gameplay:

Serpent Island: A large-scale, tropical open-world map designed for long-range engagements and diverse vehicular traversal.

Building 21: A high-intensity, close-quarters subterranean laboratory. Accessing this map typically requires a "Coded Keycard" found within Serpent Island, and it offers higher-tier loot at the cost of increased difficulty and more aggressive AI.

Progression Systems

DMZ: Recon introduced several mechanics distinct from the game's standard Multiplayer and Battle Royale modes:

Factions and the Black Market

Players interact with three primary factions: Kurohana Corp, Atlas Laboratory, and La Sous Terre. By completing faction-specific missions, players increase their "Trust Level," unlocking specialized items in the Black Market.[10] This market serves as a hub where players can spend extracted cash on ammunition, advanced equipment, and unique weapon blueprints.

Talent System

The mode features a dedicated "Talent" tree, allowing players to upgrade specific classes. These upgrades provide passive benefits, such as increased health, faster looting speeds, or improved accuracy with certain weapon types, which persist across matches.

Development and Release

DMZ: Recon was first teased during the COD Next 2025 event. Activision positioned the mode as the "third pillar" of the Call of Duty: Mobile experience, alongside traditional Multiplayer and Battle Royale. The mode was released on December 11, 2025, coinciding with the game's 6th-anniversary celebrations.

In February 2026, Activision hosted the DMZ Recon Invitational, a $50,000 esports tournament featuring 30 prominent content creators. The event was designed to showcase the mode's tactical depth and was the first major competitive event for the extraction format on mobile.

Development and release

Call of Duty: Mobile was announced in March 2019, with TiMi-J3, itself a TiMi Studio Group division, which is a subsidiary of Tencent Games, leading development. Many of the game's features were revealed at this announcement, promising a familiar experience for fans of the Video game console. The aim of the game was to take familiar aspects from the franchise's previous games and allow users to access them from their mobile devices. [18] [19] It features two in-game currencies, as well as a battle pass. [20] The initial release was in Australia on June 15, 2019, following the soft-launches in Australia, Canada and Peru. [21] [22] [23] Garena released the game in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand on September 29, 2019. The game was released in Europe, North America and Latin America by Activision on September 30, 2019, and by Tencent Games in South Korea on October 1, 2019. [24] [25] VNG Games released the game after the worldwide release in partnership with Activision and TiMi Studios in Vietnam on April 20, 2020. [26] [27] Tencent Games published the game for Mainland China on December 24, 2020. [28]

Call of Duty: Mobile features many playable characters, maps, and game modes from previous games in the series. [29] Different control settings were included to cater to player's preferences. [30] A "zombies" game mode was added to the game in November 2019. This game mode followed the classic Call of Duty zombies "survival" formula where the player fights off endless waves of zombies, aiming to survive as long as possible. A "Raid" mode was also included where the player had to defeat a set amount of waves of zombies before encountering one of two final bosses. [31]

Esports

The Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship 2020 Tournament was a partnership between Activision Blizzard and Sony Mobile Communications, and marks the game's entry into the top tier of esports. [32] It featured more than $1 million in total prizes, which include both cash and in-game cosmetics. [33] Competing teams were drawn directly from the game's community through four open online qualifiers from April 20 to May 24, 2020. Eligible players ranked veteran or higher have the chance to play. [34] The 2021 tournament featured a $2 million prize pool.[ citation needed ] In addition to the official Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship, third-party tournaments have emerged, providing additional competitive opportunities for players. Platforms such as Money Gaming host regular COD:Mobile Battle Royale events, allowing players of all skill levels to compete for real cash prizes. [35]

Reception

Call of Duty: Mobile received "generally favorable reviews", according to the review aggregator Metacritic. [36] IGN wrote that the game “represents the best the juggernaut franchise has ever been on a handheld platform. The leveling path is rewarding, even without spending money, and there are lots of modes to jump around between, including an impressive battle royale mode.” [42] GameSpot says “beyond its messy micro-transaction menus and the slight time-saving purchases, there's not much else in Call of Duty: Mobile that detracts from its faithful recreation of the exhilarating and fast-paced multiplayer action of the core series.” [40] Polygon also praised the game stating, “Call of Duty: Mobile doesn’t come across like a deeply compromised or watered-down rendition of the age-old multiplayer format; it just feels like Call of Duty.” [44]

In the first month, the game had over 148 million downloads and generated nearly US$54 million in revenue, making it the largest mobile game launch in history. [45] By June 2020, the game had generated over $327 million in revenue, and had seen over 250 million downloads. [46] [47] [48] By October 2020, that figure had risen to over $480 million with 270 million downloads. [49] As of February 2022, the game has generated over $1.5 billion globally in revenue from in-game spending and microtransactions, [50] with the game having seen over 500 million downloads by May 2021. [51] By November 2024, the game had amassed more than $3 billion in revenue, with the game having achieved over 1 billion downloads. [52]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryResultRef.
2019 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Song/Score - Mobile Video GameNominated [53]
The Game Awards 2019 Best Mobile GameWon [54]
2020 23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Portable Game of the Year Nominated [55]
Game Developers Choice Awards Best Mobile GameNominated [56]
SXSW Gaming Awards Mobile Game of the YearNominated [57]
16th British Academy Games Awards Mobile Game of the YearWon [58]
The Game Awards 2020 Best Mobile GameNominated [59]
2025 Golden Joystick Awards Still Playing Award - MobileNominated [60]

References

  1. ↑ Activision. "Call of Duty: Mobile seasonal update overview." Official Call of Duty Blog. https://www.callofduty.com/blog/2026/02/call-of-duty-mobile-season-2-lunar-charge
  2. ↑ Call of Duty. "Call of Duty: Mobile Battle Pass and seasonal events." https://www.callofduty.com/mobile
  3. ↑ GameSpot. “Call of Duty Mobile Season 2 Brings New Gun, New DMZ Features, And More.” https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-mobile-season-2-brings-new-guns-new-dmz-features-and-more/1100-6537931/
  4. ↑ “Introducing Call of Duty: Mobile Season 2 — Lunar Charge.” Call of Duty Blog. https://www.callofduty.com/blog/2026/02/call-of-duty-mobile-season-2-lunar-charge
  5. ↑ Ahmed, Wasif (December 12, 2019). "Call of Duty: Mobile is getting a prop hunt mode". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  6. ↑ Winslow, Jeremy. "CoD Mobile Update Adds Rapid Fire, Sticks And Stones Modes". GameSpot. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  7. ↑ Martin, Liam (April 2020). "Call of Duty Mobile Season 5 release date LIVE, update patch notes, 2v2 Showdown and MORE". Express UK. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  8. ↑ Watts, Steve. "Call Of Duty Mobile Update Adds Maps, Modes, And Rewards". GameSpot. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  9. ↑ Glover, Stephanie. "Mode Intel: One Shot, One Kill - Activision Games Blog". Activision Games Blog. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  10. ↑ Ahmed, Wasif (October 18, 2019). "Call of Duty: Mobile adds sniper-only game mode". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  11. ↑ Ahmed, Wasif (October 14, 2019). "Gun Game has arrived in Call of Duty: Mobile". Dot Esports. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  12. ↑ Saurbh, Utkarsh (October 14, 2019). "Call of Duty Mobile battle royale gameplay guide : Fly helicopters, be a Ninja, battle monsters". Times of India. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  13. ↑ Sheridan, Connor. "Call of Duty: Mobile Zombies mode is live, here's how it works". GamesRadar+. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  14. ↑ Bedford, Tom (July 27, 2021). "Call of Duty: Mobile zombies is returning, but not as you remember it". TechRadar . Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  15. ↑ "When is Zombies returning to Call of Duty Mobile?". Dexerto. February 10, 2021. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Announcing Call of Duty®: Mobile Season 9 — Zombies Are Back". www.callofduty.com. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  17. ↑ Good, Owen (March 4, 2020). "Call of Duty Mobile axes Zombies mode in next update". Polygon. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
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  22. ↑ "Call of Duty®: Mobile - Overview - Apple App Store - Canada". Sensor Tower. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Call of Duty®: Mobile - Overview - Apple App Store - Peru". Sensor Tower. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Call of Duty®: Mobile - Overview - Google Play Store - US". Sensor Tower. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  25. ↑ "드디어 한국 상륙!". www.codm.kr. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
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  28. ↑ "《使命召唤手游》上线倒计时4天，KPL现场发布国服CG". Tencent Games & TiMi Studios. December 20, 2020. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
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  30. ↑ "Call of Duty®: Mobile: Fresh Intel – A Preview of What's to Come". blog.activision.com. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  31. ↑ May 2020, Leon Hurley 06 (May 6, 2020). "Wondering how to play Call of Duty Mobile Zombies? We've some good news and bad". gamesradar. Retrieved July 30, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  32. ↑ Handrahan, Matthew (April 23, 2020). "Call of Duty: Mobile esports tournament gets $1m prize pool" . Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  33. ↑ Webster, Andrew (April 22, 2020). "Call of Duty: Mobile is getting an esports tournament with $1 million in prizes". The Verge. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  34. ↑ James, Ford (April 28, 2020). "Call of Duty Mobile World Championship 2020: Sign up, dates, qualifiers, and more". GamesRadar+. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Money Gaming | COD: Mobile Battle Royale Events". Money Gaming UK. Archived from the original on February 11, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  36. 1 2 "Call of Duty Mobile for iOS Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  37. ↑ Schmid, Matthias (October 15, 2019). "Test: Call of Duty: Mobile". 4Players. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  38. ↑ Andriessen, CJ. "Review: Call of Duty: Mobile". Destructoid. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  39. ↑ Santangelo, Manuel (October 10, 2019). "Call of Duty: Mobile - recensione". Eurogamer.it. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  40. 1 2 Barbosa, Alessandro. "Call Of Duty Mobile Review - Boots On The Go". GAMESPOT. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
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  42. 1 2 Hilliard, Kyle (October 9, 2019). "Call of Duty: Mobile Review". IGN. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
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  44. ↑ Hayward, Andrew (October 18, 2019). "Call of Duty: Mobile is the perfect complement to the console and PC versions". Polygon. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
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