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Game over for Call of Duty Warzone on mobile, Activision says it did not meet expectations

Game over for Call of Duty Warzone on mobile, Activision says it did not meet expectations

India Today17-05-2025
It's game over for Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, as Activision prepares to delist the title from the App Store and Google Play on Sunday, May 18, bringing an abrupt end to its run a little over a year after its global debut. Launched on March 21, 2024, Warzone Mobile set out to replicate the success of its PC and console counterparts. However, the mobile version struggled to find its place among on-the-go gamers. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), the company acknowledged the shortfall, stating the game has not met the expectations of mobile-first players.
advertisementPlayers who already have the game installed before Monday, May 19, will still be able to access it. Crucially, features like shared inventories and cross-progression between console and PC will remain in place, and online matchmaking will continue to function. But this lifeline comes with limitations.According to Activision's support page, there will be no new seasonal content or gameplay updates, and cross-platform social features will be disabled. Players will also be unable to purchase in-game items with real money, and no refunds will be issued for past purchases or unused COD Points.
The company states, "This decision was made after careful consideration and while we're proud of the accomplishment in bringing Call of Duty: Warzone to mobile in an authentic way, it unfortunately has not met our expectations with mobile-first players like it has with PC and console audiences."advertisementThe move signals a strategic pivot for Activision, which is now reassessing its mobile ambitions. Warzone Mobile was part of a broader push to expand into the mobile gaming space—an effort bolstered by Microsoft's acquisition of Activision, which significantly strengthened the tech giant's foothold in the sector. But despite these ambitions, the game failed to sustain engagement levels comparable to its console and PC iterations.This farewell to Warzone Mobile highlights the challenges of translating big-budget titles to handheld platforms. While features like cross-progression were meant to unify the experience across devices, they ultimately weren't enough to keep mobile-first players hooked. Though the servers will stay live for existing users, the curtain is falling on Warzone Mobile's ambitions—leaving Activision to regroup and reconsider its next steps in the ever-competitive world of mobile gaming.
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