Mobile Games News Review | Week of 18-24 April 2022

Discover the weekly recap of the mobile games news on Android and iOS for the week of April 18 to 24, 2022! We'll let you read it all below. ⬇️

On the agenda this week: Just Cause mobile in test, Sonic enters the metaverse, several big licences coming to mobile, a new card game The Witcherand much more to discover in this recap.

New mobile game announcements and releases of the week

1️⃣ To start this recap, Just Cause Mobile has entered early access on Android. Square Enix has only launched the title in select regions, but you can already play it via Taptap, as we did this week. The iconic elements of the licence such as the parachute, grappling hook and vehicles to explore an open-world in single player. However, we were unable to access PvP due to the low number of players. Just Cause Mobile is not the only big title to try and make its mark on mobile after its success on more traditional video game supports. We'll soon be bringing you a list of major upcoming mobile games such as Star Wars Hunter, Rogue Company Mobile, Rainbow Six Mobile, Call of Duty Vanguard mobile, and many other titles.

2️⃣ Staying with the licences that have made their mark on video games, this week The Witcher account announced a new adaptation of its universe on mobile. After Gwent and Thronebreaker on the TCG and The Witcher: Monster SlayerThe Witcher, the lore imagined by Andrzej Sapkowski is getting a new title, called Golden Nekker. This Witcher card game will be released on PC, Android and iOS as a single-player game only, although no further details on its content are known.

3️⃣ Let's leave the dark creatures of fantasy Poland behind for a zombie-laden title. Dead 4 Returns, the spiritual heir to Left 4 Dead on mobile, is available in closed beta. You can sign up to download the game and test it, if selected, via TapTap. During testing and upon release, Dead 4 Returns plans to focus on co-op PvE rather than PvP due to development concerns. The beta will end on May 6th so that the studio can adapt its title to the testers' feedback.

4️⃣ Official adaptation of the hit PC game, Frostpunk mobile entered alpha this week. From its full name Frostpunk: Beyond the Icethe title plunges you into an alternate version of the 20th century where a volcanic winter has plunged the world under snow. Where all the cities of the world have failed, one city has survived thanks to its heat generator. Now the only source of life in this white wasteland, this single colony of survivors must continually feed its heart with coal, feed its inhabitants on the few potatoes in the powder and chop down the woods to rebuild what it has lost.

In this urban management and survival simulation, you will have to mix the management of your population, its heat, its expansion and all its needs with expeditions to the outside world to build a new empire on the remains of the old world. If you enjoyed discovering games like The Bonfire 2 Frostpunk mobile already offers great gameplay and an immersive atmosphere with relatively few bugs for an alpha phase.

5️⃣ NetEase Games' game by the name of Project: Castle in early access on Android in select regions. This side-view RPG a la Hustle Castle or Assassins' Creed has plenty of mini-games in addition to boss fights and building your personal castle.

Project: Castle appears to be a revisit of the already known elements of this kind of game: idle, gacha, character upgrading, PvE, PvP and a multitude of small events to occupy the field. We will certainly test it when it is released, even if it does not appear to be an original proposition.

6️⃣ After a long beta phase , Dislyte is finally aiming for worldwide release. It's official, the release of Dislyte will take place in May. If you were tired of waiting for this title between mythology, pop culture and music game, you will not have to wait much longer. Mixing urban and EDM scenes, Dislyte intends to impose its style on mobile.

7️⃣ Meanwhile, it's Tower of Fantasy 's turn to begin its test phase. Offered by Hotta Studio and Level Infinite, Tencent's label, this RPG with anime graphics tries to reconcile its open-world with a great story to follow, in the manner of Genshin Impact. With an immersive combat system, live a singular adventure on the planet Aida several centuries in the future. Particularly popular in China, the title will be released on PC and mobile during 2022 after the end of its closed beta on May 20.

Still on the Tencent side, the dungeon-crawler Raziel will close its doors on 15 June 2022 after three years of good and loyal service.

News on the mobile metaverse

8️⃣ We told you last week about the rise of Epic Games, Sony and LEGO with big investments in the metaverse. This time, Core, a virtual world creation platform released in April 2021 in the form of a video game, has the news. Built in Unreal Engine, this title from Manticore Games will soon be coming to iOS. However, you'll still need to use the PC version to create your world as Core's iPad and iPhone port only allows you to play the games you've already created.

9️⃣ Alongside Meta, Epic Games, Roblox and other giants of the metaverse, it's quite surprising not to see Amazon taking its slice of the pie. Despite some missteps, its Amazon Games arm is certainly already looking into the matter internally. However, it is known that the new generations of gamers will have the earliest introduction to the metaverse and may even be the most adept at navigating it. The new game offers for children are therefore not insignificant. This week, Jeff Bezos' company is launching two games dedicated to them: C D E to learn music and Super Spy Ryan, both based on animated series and available in the Amazon Kids+ subscription in several countries.

🔟 Finally, to conclude this news on the metaverse with the virtual galaxy that dominates the market, let's take a look at Roblox. After the world of Paris Hilton, which allows you to see live fashion shows and visit her villa with your avatar in Roblox, it's SEGA that puts a foot in the metaverse. The red trainers of the famous blue hedgehog will soon be grazing the unforgettable tracks of Green Hill and Lost Valley in Sonic Speed Simulator on Roblox. This official adaptation of the Sonic licence is already available on the game's website, for those nostalgic for your best arcade racing sessions.

Solving the NFT robbery and addiction issues

1️⃣1️⃣ Let's get into a serious part of this recap, with big money at stake. According to the FBI, the US$625 million in cryptocurrencies stolen in the Axie Infinity hack a few weeks ago is believed to be the work of a North Korean group called Lazarus. Here is what the FBI said in a statement.

The FBI continues its fight against malicious cyber activity, including the threat posed by North Korea against the United States and its private sectors. With this investigation, we were able to confirm the involvement of the Lazarus Group and APT38 in the March 29 theft of 620 million in Ethereum.

Official FBI release

Even though the cryptocurrency wallet has been frozen, it's possible that the hackers will get away with it if they have the support of their government. Anyway, I didn't expect to hear about an FBI investigation in a recap on mobile gaming!

1️⃣2️⃣ This week, InnoGames spoke out about the court ruling in its addiction case. Initiated by a player who spent $9,000 and over 10,000 hours on Forge of Empires between 2016 and 2019, the court case sought recognition of the addiction created by the game as well as the environment conducive to harassment, including misogyny, that the person allegedly experienced.

However, while it is good to raise awareness of predatory behaviour by some studios, InnoGames is not in that camp according to the courts. It turns out that the player herself had insulted most of the in-game moderators who aimed to maintain a calm and relaxing environment in Forge of Empires. This verdict reinforces FoE's position as the game's leading player, having recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Esport

1️⃣3️⃣ We wrap up this week's news with a littleesport. The first Wild Rift Global Championship Icons 2022 will take place in Europe from 14 June to 8 July. Specifically, the 24 qualified teams will compete in Madrid, Spain to determine who will be the first world champion in the history of the game.

And that's it for this week's mobile games news. Thanks for reading all the way through, and see you next week.