Activision and Tencent are teaming up to create an all-new Call of Duty mobile game for the Chinese market, the two companies announced on Thursday.
The new title will be free-to-play and it will bring together a collection of beloved Call of Duty characters, maps, modes, and weapons from across the franchise, Activision said. Timi Studio Group is developing it. The studio is perhaps best known for its hugely popular multiplayer online battle arena game Arena of Valor. It also worked on the third-person shooter Age of Gunslingers Online and the racing title “GKART.”
“We’re working closely with one of Tencent’s top mobile studios, Timi, to develop a fun and original ‘Call of Duty’ experience that delivers superb gameplay and mechanics to mobile players,” said Rob Kostich, executive vice president and general manager of the “Call of Duty” franchise. “’Call of Duty’ has been the leading first person action experience around the globe for years and seeing that come to life on the mobile platform has been really exciting. We can’t wait for fans to play.”
China is the largest games market in the world in terms of revenue and player numbers, according to market intelligence company Newzoo. It will account for more than one-quarter of all global game revenues in 2018, reaching an estimated $38 billion. Mobile is the dominant force in that country, Newzoo said, and it will generate 61% of revenues in 2018, growing to 70% of the market by 2021.
The Call of Duty mobile game doesn’t have a solid release date yet. Activision said it will launch sometime in the coming months.
