Since its inception in the mid-1990s, when all we could think about was playing Snake on those minuscule green screens, mobile gaming has grown into a significant portion of the video game industry, with a market worth more than $90 billion in 2021, generating nearly $200 billion in revenue, and accounting for more than half of global gaming revenues.
With a 4.4 per cent year-over-year gain, the mobile market is also the fastest-growing video game segment, and games – which have been the most downloaded apps on both the iOS and Android devices for a few years – account for 10 percent of users’ time spent on apps.
Developers and publishers have been focusing on this sector since smartphones have become the most popular gaming platform, in order to match consumers’ need for unique mobile gaming experiences.
Not only that, but the video game industry as a whole is blossoming, with a new generation of home consoles and mobile phones becoming considerably more sophisticated machines.
The top studios and firms in the market release new games virtually every month, giving us more original gameplay and unique gaming experiences than we’ve ever seen before. In the iGaming sector, for example, new games are introduced virtually every week, and operators and software suppliers are continuously striving for improvements like mobile-friendly platforms, immersive settings, and improved visuals and sound effects.
Nonetheless, the mobile gaming industry has a lot in store for us in the future, with enticing games set for release in the coming months, and the titles listed below are some of the most anticipated mobile games still coming out in 2022.
Undawn
Tencent is a name that every mobile player recognizes, so any new titles they introduce are sure to be intriguing. Undawn is an upcoming iOS and Android cooperative zombie survival game. It will include a combination of PvE and PvP gameplay, with players battling zombie hordes while also dealing with other players.
They may also work together to build shelters to protect themselves from the zombies and trade resources with their friends to ensure they are properly equipped with supplies. Although another zombie game may not sound tempting, Tencent has built a reputation for producing popular mobile games for a reason.
Diablo Immortal
In 2022, the Diablo franchise will finally be available on mobile devices. Diablo Immortal is a forthcoming free-to-play mobile game in the popular Diablo series, developed by Blizzard Entertainment in collaboration with NetEase. The game was initially revealed in late 2018, and it is expected to be published in the first half of 2022 for both Android and iOS devices, according to recent reports.
Diablo Immortal will include cross-platform play and progression carry-over between platforms, ranked PvP, and faction-based battlegrounds, as well as PvE raids and dungeons. Blizzard debuted a closed beta version of the game for Android gamers in Australia and Canada in October 2021, with Korea, Japan, and China following soon after.
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis
While the majority of the games on this list are future multiplayer mobile games, there are a few single-player titles to look forward to, such as Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis. Square Enix has long valued mobile as a medium, and their most recent statement is excellent news for fans of the critically renowned Final Fantasy series.
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is a role-playing game that will be released in episodic installments on a monthly basis. It will recount storylines from many Final Fantasy games, including Advent Children, Before Crisis, Crisis Core, and Dirge of Cerberus. Players will also be able to go through the plot in whatever order they like.
Valorant Mobile
Following the economic success of the PC version, Riot Games announced plans to bring the renowned first-person shooter Valorant to mobile devices in June 2021. The statement came as the firm celebrated Valorant’s first year, which saw over 500 million gaming sessions and over 14 million active players per month.
Exact details on this mobile version are currently unknown, but it is likely to follow a similar path to another Riot Games-awarded title, League of Legends, which recently released its mobile edition, League of Legends Wild Rift. Despite the absence of specifics, Valorant Mobile is projected to be released in 2022.