A recent legal filing says the game will be phased out after ‘Warzone Mobile’ comes out.
Activision is attempting to quell anxious Call of Duty: Mobile fans after a legal filing last week suggested the studio is already planning the game’s demise. In a tweet today, the Call of Duty: Mobile team said it planned to continue supporting game “for the long haul,” calling it an important part of the franchise.
The long-term future of Call of Duty: Mobile came into question on March 8th, as part of ongoing legal negotiations in the UK over Microsoft’s proposal to purchase Activision Blizzard for just under $69 billion. Microsoft has been repeatedly downplaying Activision’s power in the video game industry in an attempt to thwart antitrust concerns from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, and it applied the same treatment to Activision Blizzard mobile games in a legal filing last week.
Specifically, Microsoft’s response said, “CoD: Mobile is expected to be phased out over time (outside of China) with the launch of Warzone Mobile.”
Warzone Mobile is scheduled to come out this year, bringing the Call of Duty battle royale experience to Android and iOS devices. Warzone Mobile represents Activision’s attempt to unify the Call of Duty franchise, sharing technology, progression, socialization and payments among the annual mainline games, Warzone and Warzone Mobile. Meanwhile, Call of Duty: Mobile has its own battle pass and seasons.
The tweet from the Mobile team is intended to keep existing players invested. It doesn’t delve into specifics about how long the game’s lifespan will be, and it doesn’t directly address Microsoft’s suggestion that the game will eventually be shut down everywhere except China. But, it promises Call of Duty: Mobile will be sticking around for a while longer.
“We … intend to continue supporting the game with a robust roadmap of fresh new CODM content, activities and updates for the long haul,” the statement said.