No matter if you’re into casual puzzle games or frenzied battle-arenas, there are some fantastic mobile games coming out this year. So, get your pre-registrations at the ready and read on to discover the most exciting mobile games due for release in 2021. We can’t wait to get gaming.
The Witcher: Monster Slayer
Move aside Pokémon Go because we have a strong suspicion that a new AR (augmented reality) experience is about to take the world by storm. And this time, players won’t be wandering around catching cute fluffy creatures, but slaying the most grisly and gruesome monsters imaginable.
Long before it became a hit Netflix show, The Witcher game series was captivating RPG gamers as one of the most beloved games of a generation. Before that, it was a series of novels from Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The Witcher: Monster Slayer is expected to pay homage to each of those iterations through the integration of fan-favourite equipment like oils and bombs as well as familiar foes like wraiths and necrophages.
Release Status: Soft launched (regionally); full release expected 2021
Platforms: Android, iOS
Trailer:
Pokémon Unite
Talking of Pokémon, we certainly haven’t said goodbye to Pikachu just yet. In June 2020, Masaaki Hoshino announced the new mobile and Switch title Pokémon Unite. It will take the form of a 5v5 battle-arena title with many similarities to LoL’s Dominion game-mode wherein players are tasked with capturing specific arena areas before time runs out.
Matches will feature fan-favourite classic Pokémon such as Blastoise, Charizard, Gengar, Clefable, Pikachu, and Snorlax, as well as Pokémon from later generations such as Talonflame and Lucario. While the typical Pokémon “types” will not serve a function, each Pokémon will have its own unique traits and abilities. One of the most exciting aspects is that the Pokémon start in their basic form and evolve over the duration of the match.
Release Status: Closed beta (regional); coming soon.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch
Trailer:
Diablo Immortal
Let’s face it, there’s always some resistance when fan-favourite games get the mobile treatment. Especially when it comes to RPGs whose dedicated fans are known to enjoy an occasional moan. But with mobile gaming making strides in its capabilities every day, it’s time to admit it – mobile RPGs are here to stay.
Often misreported as a free-to-play mobile port of Blizzard Entertainment’s original title, Diablo Immortal is actually a brand-new game set between Diablo’s second and third titles. It will be a “Mobile Massively Multiplayer Online Action Role-Playing Game”, or for acronym lovers an MMMOARPG. It is being designed for mobile from the ground-up but will feature all of the hack-and-slash goodness we’ve grown to love. Pre-registration has already begun.
There has been a lot of excitement around Diablo Immortal, as well as a lot of scorn. For those still unconvinced about mobile MMORPGS, perhaps Diablo Immortal will be the title that changes their minds?
Platforms: Android, iOS
Release Status: Closed alpha; “Coming soon”
Trailer:
Apex Legends Mobile
Hot off the press, the mobile beta for Apex Legends has just been announced. The original title surprised games industry speculators everywhere when it took the world by storm in 2019. Now, the mobile title attempts to do the same again with a smart-phone battle-royale shoot’em’up rendition.
On the release of the mobile beta, Chad Grenier, Apex Legend’s game director, said “Beginning later this month, we’re kicking off the first regional beta tests for Apex Legends Mobile. This is a huge moment for our team. Two years ago we changed the landscape of the battle royale genre, and now we’re aiming to do it again on mobile.”
Designed for touchscreens with streamlined controls and “thoughtful optimisations”, EA have claimed that Apex Legends Mobile will be the most advanced battle-royale combat available on a phone. Suffice to say, we’re looking forward to giving it a whirl.
Platforms: Android, iOS
Release Status: Beta testing; coming soon.
Trailer:
Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier
Final Fantasy VII is widely regarded as one of the finest games in the franchise. Square Enix are exploring it in a whole new light by jumping on the battle-royale bandwagon with an exciting upcoming mobile shooter.
The mobile title is set 30 years before the original games. Players battle it out in FFVII’s iconic settings using both futuristic firearms and magical abilities such as shielding and summoning. It remains to be seen how fans will react to the title’s release, but early indicators suggest a promising experience. For fans looking for a more traditional Final Fantasy experience, Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is expected to episodically release in early 2022.
Release Status: Closed beta coming soon; full release expected late 2021
Platforms: Android, iOS
Trailer:
League of Legends: Wild Rift
In spite of the fact that League of Legends remains one of the most popular e-sports titles around, it is famously inaccessible to new players. All early reviews of League of Legends: Wild Rift suggest that it will be an antidote to that problem.
Much like the original title, LoL: Wild Rift will feature 5vs5 arena battles. However, it will be less information-dense and competitive than the base game – featuring revamped controls, extra guidance, and streamlined matches. Characters are moved with the left thumb (acting as a virtual arcade stick) while the right thumb controlling standard attacks and launching all the abilities, such as bullet storms and laser beams, that we’ve grown to love.
Release Status: Open beta (US), full release and console beta in 2021.
Platforms: Android, iOS, console
Trailer:
Honourable Mentions:
- Call of Duty Warzone Mobile (rumoured)
- Plants VS Zombies 3 (no release date)
- Just Cause Mobile (no release date)
- Metal Slug Code: J (available soon)
- Tomb Raider Reloaded (available soon)
- Summoners War: Chronicles (available soon)
- Plants VS Zombies 3 (available soon)
- NieR Reincarnation: (available soon, regionally)
- Crash Bandicoot: On the Run (available now)
