If April was a big month for Android gaming, it might have somehow overshadowed it. Not only has Apex Legends Mobile finally released, but Fortnite is now back on mobile. After a long legal battle with Apple, Epic has managed to officially bring Fortnite back on iOS and Android with the help of Microsoft’s cloud gaming platform. If you missed any of the big news this month, we’ve got exactly what you wanted to know.
Apex Legends Mobile launches globally
Apex Legends Mobile debuted globally after several regional tests and soft launches earlier this year. It will be interesting to see how it develops over the next few months and if it can retain its player base, but Season 1 seems promising. Respawn has stated that Apex Legends Mobile is a separate entity from Apex Legends on console and PC, so it will have its own roadmap with different seasons of content and a separate update cadence.
I played with it for a long time to review, and it was a lot more fun than I expected. There will definitely be growing pains as Respawn optimizes controller support and people get used to touch controls and gameplay flow on mobile devices, but it makes the franchise more approachable for new players.
Respawn even has a Legend designed specifically for mobile devices. Fade is about a movement that tries to increase the pace of the game. His passive talent, called Surge, allows the player to quickly gain speed after performing a knee slide. His tactic, a flashback, brought him back to his previous position 60 meters away.
All in all, Apex Legends Mobile is off to a good start.
Warcraft Rumble announced
Blizzard’s mobile adventure continues with Warcraft Arclight Rumble, a PvE collectible strategy game featuring a single-player campaign, missions, dungeons and raids. Players aim to collect various minifigures that can be used in battle. These battles mostly take place in handcrafted levels where troops are sent on one or more routes to defeat the boss at the end.
We were able to get our hands on an early preview and found that while it had the basics in place, it definitely needed some extra polish before it was ready for launch. The team at Blizzard is also discussing which game modes should have co-op.
“We’re still figuring out the details of what modes will be in co-op. One of the things that makes WoW Classic so great is dungeons with multiplayer, raids with multiplayer,” partner Adam Cooger Adam Kugler, director of games at Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re testing it and we’ll see how our audience reacts to find the right cues.”
Will I try the game myself? maybe not. It’s not my favorite game, but I’m glad more people can experience World of Warcraft in a new form.
Fortnite is available on any screen via the cloud
Fortnite has a tough time on mobile.It’s had the longest official release on the Google Play Store or App Store — it’s infamously pulled from iOS, leading to a sizeable lawsuit between Epic and Apple, and on the Play Store for similar reasons – but it could be side load on Android. Thanks to the power of Xbox Cloud Gaming, it can now be run on almost any device.
Microsoft teamed up with Epic to bring Fortnite to its Xbox cloud gaming service, allowing just about anyone with a phone and an Xbox account to stream the popular battle royale game. Even better, streaming means it can be played at the highest possible settings, provided your internet connection is stable and up to the mark. Best of all, it’s free; you don’t need an Xbox Game Pass subscription to play!
GeForce Now even got in on the Fortnite action, bringing PS5-level graphics upgrades to mobile devices. Its touch controls are also no longer shaky, so that’s fine.
EA brings The Lord of the Rings to mobile
The Lord of the Rings is getting the mobile game treatment. EA has announced that it’s working on a free-to-play collectible RPG called The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth. While the company didn’t provide a ton of details, we know it will feature “immersive storytelling, turn-based combat, a deep collection system, and an extensive character roster” from the beloved universe, according to the press release.
I’m all for more Lord of the Rings based games, but they have to be done right. The Nemesis system from Monolith’s Middle-earth series is fantastic, which makes me wonder what EA can bring to mobile. There’s also Lord of the Rings: Gollum coming out later this year, but I don’t know how I feel about that.
Catalyst Black comes to Android
Developer Super Evil Megacorp released its battlefield shooter Catalyst Black on May 25. This is nearly a decade after the studio released Vainglory, one of the first MOBAs to make its way to mobile devices. While Catalyst Black isn’t a MOBA per se, it draws lessons from Vainglory to create a better experience that gives every player a chance to be a hero.
It joins a growing list of Android games being released this month, and should have a long lifespan considering the team went to great lengths to listen to player feedback during Early Access.
Genshin Impact Update 2.7 is finally out
Genshin Impact update 2.7 has been mysteriously delayed for unknown reasons, breaking a long-consistent update cadence, but HoYoverse has revealed that it’s finally ready for players to enjoy. The 2.7 update hits all platforms on May 31, and the developers even say the 2.8 update will be available shortly after July 13.
While update 2.7 added Yelan and Shinobu Kugi as playable characters, HoYoverse also teased what players can expect in the coming months by announcing “Shikanoin Heizou, a young detective from the Tenryu Council,” who is described as “free-spirited” And unruly, but cheerful and lively.”
Let’s see what’s announced this summer
The summer release of the Android game remains to be seen, but players can expect some big news in the coming months. As shy as EA is with The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth, I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear about it sooner or later. But then again, my predictions are often wrong. So who knows 🤷.
until next time đź‘‹
– Jennifer Locke