For quite a while now we've known that one of Xbox's biggest goals with its Activision Blizzard acquisition is to grow in the mobile gaming space, and a new Call of Duty blog post shows us a little bit about why that goal is already coming into view.
As part of the Call of Duty franchise's 20-year celebrations, Activision has posted a retrospective on how the series has shaped up so far. It's also discussed what's next for Call of Duty - showcasing how popular its upcoming Warzone mobile spin-off is expected to be.
Months ahead if its launch, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile has more than 45 million users signed up and pre-registered to play the game when it hits mobile storefronts in Spring 2024. That's a huge influx of new players on what will be a brand-new Xbox first party launch early next year.
Here's a quick summary of what to expect from this upcoming Call of Duty mobile title, as per the blog post:
"Then a few months later in Spring 2024, prepare to join over 45 million fans who have already pre-registered Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile and prepare your squad to drop into two painstakingly-recreated Battle Royale maps – Verdansk and Rebirth Island – along with shared progression and Battle Pass integration with Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone, and an authentic multiplayer experience including maps like Shipment and Shoot House to complement Battle Royale."
Of course, the title will be free-to-play, but it will contain plenty of microtransactions for players to go at as the game grows over months and months. Let's hope that Microsoft reinvests that money into the broader gaming operations at Xbox!