Now that Microsoft has officially acquired Activision Blizzard King, the rumour mills are swirling about what’s next. Much of that talk has centred on Microsoft’s plans for Xbox on mobile, given that King was actually one of the key reasons Microsoft was so keen on the acquisition.
The most recent rumour reveals a ton more information about the upcoming Xbox app store. It will feature Call of Duty Mobile, Warzone Mobile, Candy Crush, and Diablo Immortal initially, with other mobile titles owned by the publisher.
Could More Xbox Mobile Games Be On The Way?
It’s also incredibly likely that we will see regular mobile tie-ins with other IP Xbox owns. This will sit alongside Xbox Game Pass, which you can use directly in the app via the cloud. This, effectively, turns your phone into an Xbox.
According to the rumour, Xbox will also allow developers to run their own app store within the Xbox mobile app, and offer their own payment processes. This is a complete shift from the App Store and Google Play, which doesn’t allow this.
Will Fortnite Make a Return to iOS?
This could result in Epic Games using the Xbox app to release games like Fortnite, Fall Guys, and its other multiplayer titles on mobile. If successful, Xbox could easily end up being the most popular app store on mobile.
The EU is about to pass the Digital Market Act, which prevents the likes of Apple and Google from creating an app store monopoly on their platforms. This takes effect on March 6 2024. That’s right in time for the rumoured release date of the Xbox mobile store, which could arrive as early as summer 2024.
Will Microsoft Remove Diablo Immortal and CoD: Mobile From Google Play?
There are still a bunch of unanswered questions though. Will Microsoft remove the likes of Call of Duty: Mobile and Diablo Immortal from Google Play and the App Store, exclusively offering it through its own store?
That’s entirely possible, given that it won’t have to then pay a cut to Apple or Google for IAPs. It also opens the door to Microsoft releasing a Windows, or Xbox, phone again. This will help developers create games for the Xbox app, as the power of the device will remain static.
I guess time will tell, ultimately!
