Round-up 175: mobile games news of the week

In this week's recap #175, we take a look at the week's must-have mobile games releases, mobile news and pre-registrations/test phases not to be missed.

Sit back and relax as we round up all the week's mobile games news! On the agenda: the release of Balatro and NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM, the release date of Miraibo GO and the TGS announcements.

Mobile games releases of the week

This week has been rich in release announcements, with many games now available on the stores:

• NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM finally hits Play Store and App Store a day early. Players will be able to embody their favourite ninja in this dynamic fighting game, with a Free Fight mode or Ultimate Mission to relive the iconic arcs of the anime.
• Balatro is available on Play Store and App Store. Available for $10, this game features complex joker-based mechanics for captivating strategic games.
• Bleach Soul Puzzle, a puzzle game inspired by the famous manga, is now available on Play Store and App Store. This casual game uses simple mechanics to eliminate coloured blocks with special powers in a charming chibi universe.
• Soccer Manager 2025 is available on Play Store and App Store, celebrating 10 years of the franchise. With over 900 clubs, 90 leagues and 25,000 FIFPRO-licensed players, this management game promises a realistic and immersive experience for football fans.

We continue with Nightfall Kingdom Frontier Tower Defense, available on Play Store and in pre-registration on App Store. This tower defence game puts you in the shoes of a king who must defend his territory and resist waves of nocturnal enemies. Finally, Mighty Calico, the mobile game where cute cats arm themselves for epic battles across different kingdoms, is available in F2P on the Play Store and App Store.

Pre-registrations, announcements, updates and testing phases

In addition to the recent releases, we have a number of other test and pre-registration announcements in stock this week:

• Miraibo GO, a multiplayer survival game heavily inspired by Palworld, will be released for free on 10 October on Play Store and App Store. Players will be able to capture and use Mira, cute creatures, to manage their bases and harvest resources with their friends in cross-platform play.
• Blasphemous, the high difficulty metroidvania, is coming to Play Store and App Store with all its DLC. This game, acclaimed for its dark universe and demanding gameplay, will be available for less than $9, a great deal for fans of the genre.
• The EVE series is expanding with EVE Galaxy Conquest, a 4X multiplayer PvP game scheduled for release on 29 October on Play Store and App Store. Players will be able to explore the galaxy of New Eden, pilot familiar ships and create alliances or take on other factions.
• The long-awaited MMORPG Gran Saga will finally be released worldwide on 30 October. The game promises breathtaking graphics, epic battles and total immersion in a fantastic universe.

Meanwhile, Gordian Quest, a game combining deck-building, roguelike and team management, will arrive on mobile this winter, and Songs of Conquest, a turn-based strategy game inspired by Might and Magic, has also been announced. For its part, Konami is announcing the release of eBaseball MLB Pro Spirit this autumn.

Girls Frontline 2 Exilium, a highly-anticipated gacha RPG already released in China, has opened pre-registration for a global release on Play Store and App Store. Netmarble revealed King of Fighters AFK at TGS 2024. This pixel art game adopts a gacha formula combined with AFK gameplay.

We continue with One Piece: Ambition, a 3D fighting game inspired by the famous manga and developed by Tencent Games, which is entering the beta test phase in China. Maple Story Worlds will be available as a soft launch in the United States from 16 October, and the closed beta of Soul Land: New World, an MMORPG based on the Soul Land licence, has been launched in South-East Asia.

Sonic Rumble, a battle royale game inspired by Fall Guys, will be arriving on Play Store, App Store and PC this winter. We have also learned that the long-awaited Stardew Valley 1.6 update will arrive on mobile and consoles on 4 November, with new features, events and a new farm.

Nexus Station, a social world inspired by the old MMOs, will offer tools for world creation and cooperation. Finally, we close with Lord of the Mysteries RPG, which was presented at Tokyo Game Show 2024.

Other news and events from the mobile games industry

The mobile JV industry has more news in store for you this week:

• Hotta Studio has unveiled 13 minutes of gameplay for Neverness to Everness, an action RPG with a polished graphical style and mechanics reminiscent of Zenless Zone Zero. No release date has yet been announced for this title.
• After 12 years in business, The Simpsons: Tapped Out will close its doors in January 2025. The game, which allowed players to rebuild Springfield, will be withdrawn from stores on 31 October 2024.
• Ubisoft is going through a difficult period, with criticism of its management. Following the cancellation of its participation in the Tokyo Game Show and the postponement of Assassin's Creed Shadows, the situation has worsened with the STJV's decision to withdraw Ubisoft's participation in the Tokyo Game Show and the postponement of Assassin's Creed Shadows.cision by the STJV to call a strike, following Ubisoft's announcement to end teleworking without consulting employees.

See you next week for a round-up of mobile games news!