Microsoft plans to “phase out” Call of Duty Mobile for Warzone Mobile

While Microsoft continues its pursuit of Activision-Blizzard, it has already begun to outline its plans for one of the publisher's most well-known franchises.

The details:

• Call of Duty Mobile is the Chinese developer TiMi Studios' take on the massively successful Call of Duty (COD) franchise, and it has received widespread acclaim for its gameplay and the combination of weapons, maps, and modes found in the series' other titles. So far, the free-to-play shooter has amassed over 100 million downloads across Android and iOS devices, and it continues to grow due to its low barrier to entry.
• According to recent Microsoft documents, the company appears to want Warzone Mobile to be the main mobile title for the COD franchise, with COD Mobile being "phased out over time." The plan, according to the document, is to go into effect in every region except China, putting COD Mobile in the same position as the now-defunct Chinese-exclusive COD Online. It's unclear whether Microsoft plans to move the standard multiplayer mode to Warzone Mobile, allowing it to run on a new engine, or if it will simply focus all efforts on the battle royale component.
• Fans have already begun to speak out against the plan, with many spending hundreds of dollars on in-game purchases. "People are about to be mad as hell, bundles on there cost rent," one player said, with another claiming that the move would be "further evidence that developers and publishers don't care about multiplayer anymore.”

Other recent COD news:

• Microsoft confirmed in February that it had entered a 10-year legally binding agreement with Nintendo to bring its console franchises to Nintendo platforms. Despite the company's acquisition of the publisher not yet being finalized, Activision's Call of Duty is said to be released on the same day across both Xbox and Nintendo platforms for future releases.
• A COD TV show is reportedly in the works, with recent screenshots from an Italian insider revealing scenes from the first episode. The screenshots show Task Force 141 from the rebooted Modern Warfare series, and it has been reported that filming is still ongoing.