Mobile Games News Recap #101: futuristic racing game, Project G, Life Makeover...

Discover our weekly recap of the mobile games news on Android and iOS issue #101 which presents you the latest news of March 2023! On the agenda this week: a futuristic car game, the announcement of Project G, new Netflix and Sony games and much more to discover in this recap. We'll let you read it all below. ⬇️

Release of Ace Racer, a new racing game with neon cars jumping over obstacles

Let's start this recap with the release of Ace Racer on Android and iOS. The futuristic neon racing game offers an explosive high-speed cocktail. Driving futuristic cars, jump over obstacles, fly, drift and collide with your opponents.

But NetEase Games wants you to do it in style, so you can fully customize your vehicle. On realistic and colorful tracks inspired by cyberpunk and arcade games, face players from all over the world in ultra dynamic competitive races. Ace Racer is out in select countries on Google Play and Appstore and you can try it now on mobile.

Trailer of Hyper Light Breaker on iOS

The RPG Hyper Light Drifter released in 2016 returns with a sequel, this time in 3D. The Hyper Light Breaker trailer reveals a world with an infinite number of exotic biomes, multiple building possibilities, bosses to take down and a personal battle kit to develop in a rogue-lite adventure. Play alone or with friends in the world of Hyper Light Breaker, which is strongly reminiscent of No Man's Sky in its artistic direction, when it launches soon on iOS in early access.

Project G: the mysterious cross-platform strategy game announced by NCSoft

For fans of strategy games, I invite you to check out our recent top games of the genre on the channel, and take a look at Project G, the next game from NCSOFT. The game, which is planned for mobile and PC, hasn't revealed many details yet, but its trailer offers a sublimated version of games like Rise of Kingdoms, with more freedom in its basic customization.

On a gigantic map, deploy your army, expand your control over the territory, take part in large-scale real-time battles and master all the fantastic creatures that cross your path. The release date of Project G is still unknown for now, so you'll have to be content with the announcement trailer.

Release of a teaser trailer for the sci-fi RPG Snowbreak: Containment Zone

Do you like snow, guns and science fiction? Amazing Seasun invites you to pre-register for Snowbreak: Containment Zone, its upcoming shooter with giant opponents based in 2057. Battles will test your reflexes with QTEs and character switching to inflict maximum damage while diving into the game's story between battles.

Snowbreak will soon enter beta and has no official release date yet, but we'll keep you posted on future announcements.

Welcome Kokuri-san will be released on May 25, 2023

The visual novel Welcome Kokuri-san published by CyberStep will finally be released on May 24 on PC, the 25th on Switch and a little later on Android and iOS, with no specific date yet. This title concerns a fantasy story around the Vtuber Kurune Kokuri. At her side, you will lead a somewhat special investigation that will begin with the arrival of the little fox after casting a spell that will recall the lore of Kurune Kokuri and his summoning via a ouija board.

[Rumor] Playstation develops 2 AAA titles for mobile

Microsoft and Sony are battling it out to see who will have the last word on Microsoft's recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, but Sony is wasting no time and continuing its push into the mobile market as planned. As a reminder, a few years ago Sony announced that it wanted to have at least one mobile port of each of its major licenses on phones by 2025.

This week, we learn that Playstation is currently developing two triple A games, a news that was leaked by Shaun Weber. Among the two Unreal Engine games, one would be a game based on a Playstation license like Spider-man and the other one would be an original creation. The announced genres would be an open world action adventure game and a 3D RPG probably with tactical battles, one paid and the other free, planned for 2025.

Highwater game released via Netflix Games

The end of the world is in fashion and video game developers are not afraid to use this theme for their productions. In Highwater, released this week on Android and iOS, it is the rising waters that is illustrated, between narration and tactical battles at turn-based in a low-poly style.

On flooded Earth, meet important people and try to enter Alphaville, the walled city of millionaires protected from disaster before boarding a rocket to save yourself. You can experience Highwater right now with your Netflix subscription. And, if you're a subscriber, you'll also be able to try out the Paper Trail puzzle game soon, which invites you to fold, unfold and refold paper to change the world and solve puzzles later in 2023.

The authentic metaverse comes to phones with the arrival of Second Life mobile

You know what they say: one life is good, but two lives are better. No one says that, but that's the premise of Second Life, one of the pioneers of the metaverse for the past twenty years. The announcement of the release of Second Life on mobile will delight the fans of the first hour and could convince the players in need of virtual social life.

The graphics are ugly but the possibilities of interaction are almost endless, so you never know what weird thing you'll come across in Second Life: it's a bit like a surprise package that you're not sure you want to open but will still arrive on Android and iOS before the end of the year.

New class Black Desert Mobile Igneous, master of water and fire

After the Zayed class, Black Desert Mobile decides to bring a new character type to its roster of unique fighting styles. Far from the burning sand of its fellow Zayed, the new Igneous Black Desert Mobile class uses fire and water to break down its enemies. Blending the powers of Marg and Arne, the guardians of these two elements, the Igneous' fighting style makes him a weak character in duels but very powerful in AoE to fend off hordes of opponents.

His skills include water traps to disable his targets with crowd control effects before burning everything down to send his enemies to the stake.

Pre-registration for Life Makeover

Since the launch of the excellent Dragon Raja, Archosaur Games has not made all the right choices. Last summer, Noah's Heart rather disappointed the mobile community, who were expecting a more interesting and ambitious MMO. This time, inspired by the success of Love Nikki, which will soon have its own open world entitled Infinity Nikki, Archosaur Games is opening pre-registration for Life Makeover, its own dress-up game.

So get ready for a worldwide launch of this social simulation title where you'll have your avatar doll to dress, your virtual house to decorate, your dressing room to fill and your stylish future friends to meet.

5th anniversary of Marvel Strike Force and PUBG Mobile

New round of celebrations this week with the fifth anniversary of Marvel Strike Force and PUBG Mobile, two unavoidable references of phone games in their respective genres. Marvel Strike Force is playing it Pokémon GO style, nostalgically revisiting modes and events that have marked its journey since 2018. New characters will join the roster of 225 superheroes and super villains to celebrate this half-decade of existence with dignity.

PUBG mobile, which is always looking ahead toesport, offers exclusive content, revamped Payload and Metro Royale modes and the addition of the World of Wonder construction mode, which will make you true architects of Erangel.

Dead by Daylight mobile released after a total redesign

We've been telling you about it for several weeks now, but Dead by Daylight mobile new version is finally out this week on Android and iOS. The asymmetric multiplayer game from Behaviour Interactive has just finished its pre-registrations and launched on March 15th with new graphics, an additional Survivor and a killer able to teleport via televisions, I'm talking about: Sadako, the ghost girl.

With a million pre-registered players and a community ready for new features, Dead by Daylight mobile has unfortunately suffered a wave of negative reviews with server issues, so wait a little longer before jumping into this horrific game so you don't end up traumatized with your connection issues.

Closure of Garena Free Fire Max in South America and closure of Sin Chronicle in Japan

Around the world, the closure of major mobile games does not seem to stop. First, we learn that Sin Chronicle, a Japanese exclusive, will close its doors on May 31 and thus signs the end of a SEGA game. But another piece of news surprised Battle Royale players. I want to talk about the progressive closure of Garena Free Fire Max in Latin America.

Awarded at the Google Play Awards, this sequel to the basic Free Fire game is finally being dropped in the region to allow the developers to refocus on their original first title, and it's unclear if the rest of the world will follow.

Dragonfly and Ntrace are working on a new mobile MMORPG for 2024

In the industry, things are moving a lot: big guys are buying up small ones, Square Enix is reabsorbing its failing studios and big developers are deciding to collaborate on ambitious projects. This is the case of Dragonfly and Ntrance who signed a contract this week to develop together a new MMORPG that should be released in late 2024.

Without more details for the moment, we just know that this project will be based on Ntrance's development experience on its previous DK mobile title to offer a quality next generation MMO. At Mobi.gg, we are waiting for the global release of ArcheAge War, which is currently being released in South Korea, but also for Pax Dei, a European crossplatform game that really caught our attention.

Release of Munchkin Digital at 9.99€ on stores

The must-have treachery game Munchkin is hitting the stores with a phone adaptation by Dire Wolf Games, in partnership with Steve Jackson Games. All you need to know is that you have to reach level 10 to win. The other players are stepping stones to victory, and that's the true spirit of Munchkin: make friends to better betray them.

More seriously, if you don't know the excellent original card game, the release of Munchkin Digital is the perfect opportunity to test it virtually for 10 euros, in single player quests or in games full of twists and turns between friends. Choose your class, your race and go on a quest for treasure in the most bizarre of dungeons. With a fairly classic and easy to access Gate, Monster Treasure system and a lot of silly humor that will please fans of Dungeon of Naheulbeuk, this is a board game that you should have played at least once.

Launch of pre-registration for Meta World: My City

Become a virtual real estate megalomaniac in Meta World: My City. With the opening of pre-registration for Meta World: My City, Netmarble unveils the sequel to Let's Get Rich. In-game, choose properties, invest and build the metaverse imagined by Netmarble in a Monopoly version. Amass a portfolio of solid properties quickly by pre-registering on Android and iOS. To complete your in-game projects, you'll still have to wait until the game launches later in 2023.

If you are in a bad situation IRL, you have the choice to become a big investor in virtual bullshit by the square meter or to find a new life partner in Second Life mobile who will surely be a creepy guy in Alabama. It's a life choice.

Pre-registration for Legend of Keepers

The release date of the Little Nightmares port on mobile has just been pushed back by the French studio Playdigious as the company announces the upcoming launch of Legend of Keepers with the opening of its pre-registrations. Play as a dungeon owner who is fed up with intruders and discovers a passion for funny traps that dismember people.

Plan, attack and mercilessly slaughter the heroes who come to harm your ivory tower to steal its treasures. And, as you win, you'll be able to gain influence across the magical lands of Legend of Keepers from May 23rd on Android and iOS for a few euros.

Square Enix's next NFT game is already freaking out the gaming community

It seems that the departure of their CEO wasn't enough to get all the suckiness of the last few years out the door with a wave of NFT and overpriced untranslated releases. This time, the Japanese developer and publisher is making headlines with their NFT game called Symbiogenesis.

A strange mix of blockchain, information warfare and control by a small group of players, vaguely reminiscent of SAO or Peter Molyneux's Curiosity Cube, Symbiogenesis is making the whole gaming community cringe.

With this scheme of the game, we gain a free headache and we quickly understand that Square Enix relies on the manipulation of players to create scarcity in its NFTs with intensive farming , information withheld by the most powerful guilds and the multiplication of the same NFT. In any case, people on Twitter wish Square Enix nothing but happiness and recognize right away the qualities of Symbiogenesis (or not).

Instead, they want a big, fat corporate crash to set them straight and remind them that revenue generation cannot and should not be the sole motivation for creating entertainment.

Takt op. Symphony enters closed beta in Southeast Asia

Available only in China and Japan, the game Takt op. Symphony is currently in closed beta in the rest of Southeast Asia until March 23. With no current release date for the rest of the world, DeNa's gacha RPG and visual novel intrigues with its neat character design and mix of anime and visual and musical symphony.

Announcement of Wonderers: Eternal World and its enchanting world

Smilegate and NGELgames have joined forces to offer a revisited version of traditional fairy tale characters. Their title Wonderers: Eternal World presents itself as a cute and colorful action-RPG with many game modes.

In 4v4, single player, multiplayer challenges or various mini-games, you can discover the world of Wonderers: Eternal World later in 2023 on mobile and PC.

[Industry] Gameloft closes Budapest office to focus on PC and console titles

Big industry announcement this week: Gameloft is turning away from mobile gaming to focus on developing its PC and console games. I'm sure most of you have played Gameloft games on phones or tablets in the past or more recent titles like the latest Asphalt or Disney Dreamlight Valley.

This news made the industry headlines with the closure of Gameloft's offices in Budapest, while Michel Guillemot's company has historically grown with the mobile market since its launch in 1999.

Activision confirms that CoD Mobile will continue its development despite the release of Warzone

Activision's announcements last week regarding the future of Call of Duty mobile seem to have been misinterpreted by the phone gaming community. Activision does not intend to abandon Call of Duty mobile with the release of Warzone.

On the other hand, the company expects a large transfer of players and activity from the license to this latest installment and has finally incorporated this idea into its own plans. But that doesn't mean that Call of Duty mobile will get any less attention from developers, and, to prove its good faith, Activision is even unveiling a full roadmap of upcoming content for its hit mobile FPS.

More mobile gaming news this week

Thank you all for reading this far, and see you next week for more mobile gaming news! If you missed last week's news, our previous #100 recap was about the release of Summoners War: Chronicles worldwide, the soft launch ofAngry Birds Kingdom, the pre-registration of War Thunder mobile and much more to find in our news.