Category: Mobile Game Releases

Mobile game releases and development

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A new Metal Slug game called Code: J has just been revealed

A new Metal Slug game dubbed Metal Slug Code: J has been revealed at the annual Tencent Games Conference. The game is currently being developed by TiMi Studios, the subsidiary of Tencent Games, in close association with SNK. During the presentation, we got to see a trailer and some gameplay showing the series’ classic run-and-gun formula.

We’ve known for a while that new Metal Slug Games were coming, and that one of those games was being developed by TiMi Studios, but we didn’t know its title or much else about it. Metal Slug Code: J is initially launching in China, and during the presentation, a Code J website was linked with details on how to pre-register, meaning launch shouldn’t be too far off. Hopefully after that, we might hear some details about it launching in the west.

For those that don’t know, Metal Slug is a classic series of bullet-toting run-and-gun games that originally launched in the 90s, but have since moved onto console and mobile, and spawned a good number of sequels and spin-offs.

You can see the trailer for Metal Slug Code: J below:

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The gameplay for Metal Slug Code: J seems to channel the classic experience of the original series, but with a few fun little additions, like the ability to freeze enemies, and some cool looking 3D sections. It also shows off some pretty fancy mechanised bosses – such as that giant armoured tank-crab.

That’s all we know for now, however! We’ll be sure to update the story if we find out anything else. In the meantime, why not check out some of the best Android games, or best iOS games to tide you over?

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Beyond a Steel Sky launches tomorrow on Apple Arcade

Revolution has announced the Beyond a Steel Sky release date, and it’s tomorrow, June 26.  Yes, we were surprised too! The developer has been putting the finishing touches on the cyberpunk Apple Arcade game since recently revealing a glimpse of what’s to come in a Beyond a Steel Sky trailer from IGN.

The story trailer gives us a peek at Union City and also shows off some of the game’s quirky cast. It mainly serves, however, to set the game’s story in motion. You’re playing as Robert Foster, a grizzled chap in a trench coat who is about to play detective – as is the cyberpunk way. A child has been stolen from a peaceful desert community and following his trail brings you to a sprawling metropolis of flying cars and high-tech.

But now we have a Beyond a Steel Sky release date, it looks like you won’t have to wait long to join Foster, and dive into the Cyberpunk world of Steel Sky.

Be sure to check out this glimpse of Beyond a Steel Sky below:

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Beyond a Steel Sky is a sequel to Beneath a Steel Sky, which came out in 1994. There are plenty of gameplay differences to make it more accessible to modern players. The most notable is the leap from a 2D point-and-click side scroller to a 3D adventure game. You can still expect plenty of puzzles to solve, though.

For those whose curiosity we’ve peaked, you’ll be able to find Beyond a Steel Sky on Apple Arcade tomorrow. We’ve also rounded up the best iOS and Android games to give you a headstart on that adventure in the mean time.

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New Rules of Survival update will introduce trains and drones

Rules of Survival turns two-and-a-half years old this week, so developer NetEase is launching a new update to celebrate. The event is called 624 Rush Hour and introduces new vehicles and weapons alongside login rewards. You won’t have to wait long, either, as the Rules of Survival update goes live June 24, 2020.

The first significant change is trains, which you can board for combat as they dot along their specific routes. If you win out, you can take advantage of the mounted heavy machine gun to batter your foes. There’s also a respawn mod on the train so you can revive downed teammates, too. The drone is a sneakier alternative that you can pilot from afar. It has a machine mounted for damage and detonates on-demand to damage groups of people.

There’s also another piece of equipment called ‘The Scroll’, which is somewhat mysterious. It’s described as a magical parchment that gives its holder a gift every time they find one. We’re not sure what those gifts are, but apparently, the scrolls belonged to ninjas so that might be a hint.

Finally, there are login rewards, too. Boot up the game from tomorrow onwards to snag loot such as a Supply Coupon and an Avatar Frame. There are more goodies if you convince others to jump in, too.

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If you want more games to play with friends, then we got a best mobile multiplayer games list just for that. If you’re curious about other games on the horizon, then we have an upcoming mobile games list for that as well.

If you haven’t already, you can download Rules of Survival on iOS and Android.

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Scythe: Digital Edition is out on iOS in Canada and the UK

Well, there’s a Friday treat for you. Scythe: Digital Edition is available to play right now if you have an iPhone and live in the UK or Canada. It’s a premium release and will set you back £8.99 on the iOS App Store.

The game’s availability looks limited to those countries for now, and there is no word on a Scythe: Digital Edition Android release date just yet. Chances are the mobile strategy game is in soft launch, but it could be going through a staged-release. Either way, we’ve reached out to Asmodee Digital for more information and will report back if we hear anything.

We first got word that Scythe: Digital Edition was coming our way back in February, with a beta for iOS happening soon after. On the bright side for Android fans, though, Asmodee does plan to launch Scythe: Digital Edition on Google Play, according to the game’s support page. While no date or time-frame is given, it does mean it’s hopefully a question of when and not if it’ll release – all things going well development-wise.

Scythe first launched as a board game in 2015 before coming to PC in 2018. The strategy game exists in an alternate timeline in the 1920s. The world has been torn apart by World War 2, and it’s your job to piece it back together by picking a faction and leading it to glory. Civilisation and technology have received a bit of an upgrade, though, as you’ll see with the various mechs that roam the lands.

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If you’d like to read more, our sister-site Strategy Gamer did a Scythe: Digital Edition review to mark its PC launch. If you’d like other mobile games to keep you busy in the meantime, we have a list of the best iOS and Android games to keep you occupied.

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StoneAge World launches globally on Android and iOS

The wait to play Netmarble’s anticipated MMORPG is finally over. StoneAge World, the caveman pet simulator, is out now on Android and iOS, with over 250 different animals and prehistoric beasties to befriend and tame. The launch also covers 172 countries, so no matter where you are, it’s pretty likely you can play.

For those that don’t know, StoneAge World casts you in the role of a trainer, a warrior who must protect the wild, prehistoric land of Tectonika using trained animals. You’ll have to collect and tame these beasts, from woolly mammoths to dinosaurs, which you can ride around, and use in turn-based combat against the invading threat of the machine civilisation. The combination of pet simulator and RPG is part of what makes the game unique:

“StoneAge World is a new blend of mobile game that combines pet-centric collection, which appeals to players of diverse generations, with a visually pleasing aesthetic that differentiates itself from other mobile MMORPGs,” explains Netmarble executive producer Joon Sung Chang. “We are thrilled to finally bring this game to the West and mobile players around the world.”

There is a trailer for the game on YouTube, as well as these fun little videos crafting creatures from the game in clay-art while talking about them:

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Netmarble is also celebrating the game’s launch with a variety of events and in-game rewards that we’ve listed below:

  • Catch Operation Event: (June 18 – July 2) Players can collect stamps from daily missions, with rewards obtained according to the accumulated number of stamps
  • Power Reward Event: Rewards will be earned when the player’s ‘Lineup Power’ level is reached as they strengthen Trainers and Pets
  • Level Reward Event: As players reach up from level 10 to 90, the greater rewards such as Stone, Shell, and Trainer’s Rope will be given to players
  • Moga Growth Event: (June 18 – July 1) Grow the Moga and earn diverse growth-related rewards
  • 15-day Check-in Reward Event: When players log into StoneAge World, they will receive gifts each time they check-in

Mo’ reading: the best mobile MMORPGs you can download

So if you fancy wrangling some pre-historic beasties, and getting in on the action you download StoneAge World on Google Play and the App Store.

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Get free goodies in Ailment prequel Endurance, out this week

The talented developer behind 2019’s pixel art shooter Ailment, Ivan Panasenko, is back with an explosive new prequel, Endurance, which just launched this week on iOS and Android. This action-packed adventure takes place before the events of the first game, and challenges you to explore the eponymous laboratory spaceship Endurance to figure out where a deadly virus originated.

You see, this virus had the unfortunate side effect of making the ship’s crew go insane. So it’s up to you to fight your way through the insane hordes to figure out what happened and rescue any surviving crew members along the way.

There are multiple different characters to choose from, and you can upgrade all of them with new weapons and abilities as you progress. That will come in handy; particularly against one of the game’s many bosses. The action takes place from a top-down perspective over the course of a ton of different levels, with humour and combat in abundance. If you liked Ailment, suffice to say that you’ll basically love Endurance.

To celebrate this week’s launch, we’ve teamed up with Panasenko himself to bring 30 lucky Pocket Tactics readers a bunch of free in-game goodies for Endurance, and you simply fill in one of the Gleam forms below, though please pay careful attention to the platform details above each form.

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We’ve got 15 iOS and 15 Android codes up for grabs. We need your full name and email address so we can contact you in a week’s time if you win. We also require that you read our full terms and conditions before you enter, listed here.

iOS

PT – Endurance giveaway – iOS

Android

PT – Endurance giveaway – Android

In the meantime, why not check out Endurance, which is out right now on iOS and Android via the App Store or Google Play respectively.

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A new Lord of the Rings mobile game is in the works

The new mobile games announcements keep on coming. NetEase and Warner Bros. have revealed that they’re working on a new strategy title based on The Lord of the Rings. Little is known about The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War apart from the genre. The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War release date is currently unknown, too. So it may be a while before you learn anything else.

“With NetEase, we have an excellent partner for The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War bringing gamers the mobile experience in this rich universe they are looking for,” says Warner Bros. president David Haddad. “This adaptation will unlock new opportunities for players to explore the iconic settings and characters of Middle-earth while utilizing their strategic skills in battle.”

This isn’t the first time NetEase and Warner Bros have worked together. NetEase is also working on a mobile RPG game with card elements based on Harry Potter. It’s called Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, and it’s currently being tested in China. Not much on a Harry Potter: Magic Awakened release date there, either – but as it’s now in beta, we have more hope that you can play that one sooner.

If you don’t fancy waiting to get your strategy fix, though, then you can always check out our best mobile strategy games article. We also have a list of upcoming mobile games, too, so you can see some of the best games releases that are over the horizon.

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People are being arrested over selling hacks for China’s version of PUBG Mobile

Twelve people have gotten themselves into hot water with police in China over allegedly selling hacks for the Chinese version of PUBG Mobile. As translated and reported by Abacus, the group used Bitcoin to purchase the cheats from “overseas personnel” before going on to sell them to Peacekeeper Elite players. Kunshan police say the business is worth up to $15 million, which makes me question what I’m doing with my life.

The hacks themselves are relatively standard. The cheats give players the ability to see people through walls and hit as many headshots as they please through the use of an aimbot, which is particularly brutal given it’s a mobile FPS game. The punishment is currently unclear if the group is found guilty, but people have been fined for similar offences. As Abacus further points out, two men were given a one-year prison sentence and a $2,833 fine for creating Honor of Kings hacks.

If you’re unaware, Peacekeeper Elite is Tencent’s Chinese version of PUBG Mobile. Despite initially being available in China, the battle royale game was modified and re-released under a different name to satisfy China’s censorship restrictions. Peacekeeper still looks just like PUBG Mobile, from character models to general graphic texts. In this version, though, there is no blood or gore, and words like ‘kill’ are swapped to non-violent alternatives like ‘defeat’.

It appears that PUBG Mobile hacks aren’t just limited to China, however. A glance at the game’s unofficial Subreddit page reveals several complaints from players in the last few hours alone. There’s even a specific post flare designed to report accounts of cheating.

5th time today getting killed by a cheater 🤦🏽‍♂️ so annoying from PUBGMobile

We’ve reached out for more information and will update this story if we hear back. In the meantime, though, you can check out our PUBG Mobile update guide for more up-to-date information on what’s going on. We even have a guide on the best multiplayer mobile games if you fancy something different.

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NetEase has an Eve Online-like strategy game in closed beta

It’s certainly a good time to be into mobile strategy games set in space. NetEase has joined in the fun with Infinite Lagrange, an Eve Online-like strategy game that has landed in closed beta. If you want to get involved, you’ll need to have an Android phone handy and be in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Philippines. The test will last between two to three weeks, and once the server closes all the game data will be deleted.

Infinite Lagrange puts you at the head of a galactic fleet and lets you travel through uncharted space. You’ll use stargates to hop from area-to-area, coming across lost cities and alien fleets from friends and foes alike. You’ll start off with three to five ships, but once you construct a space port and upgrade your tech’ you’ll be able to get more. You’ll be able to design a plethora of different ships for your varying needs, from constructing frigates for cargo to forging battlecruisers to defend yourself.

It looks like there will be plenty of different fights you’ll find yourself in, too. When not picking scraps with other players, you’ll be able to join forces with many more to take on massive space cities. NetEase even goes as far as to say fights like these will involve hundreds of players.

If you’d like to get involved, follow this link to the Google Play store. Keep in mind, though, you’ll need to be in the United States, Canada, Australia, or the Philippines for it to work. I tried it and ended up on the game’s Facebook page – woe is me.

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If you’re feeling stranded as an iPhone user, you can always head over to our best iOS games list for a couple of strategy recommendations like Iron Marines or The Battle of Polytopia.

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A new Metal Slug game is being made for mobile

Looks like we’re set for a new Metal Slug game on mobile from Neo Geo developer SNK Interactive. That comes from South Korean publication Inven (Thanks, Siliconera), which reports that the upcoming mobile game is “80% complete”, and is set to come to iOS and Android.

The new Metal Slug game has yet to be revealed officially, so we don’t have a name just yet. That said, the report describes the game as a 2D side scrolling card-type game. There’s no word on a release date either, but SNK are apparently hopeful of releasing their console Metal Slug game in 2020, so we could see something similar here. Inven also quotes SNK Interactive CEO Jeon Se-hwan as saying the game will target ten to 20 and 30 to 40 year olds – as a 28-year-old, I don’t know how to feel about this.

The report also clarifies that the new Metal Slug mobile game has nothing to do with the project that is being worked on by Tencent’s Timi Studio – so you may have two new Metal Slug games to play soon. Details on that project are thin on the ground, but we’ll report back if we stumble across anything.

In case you’re unaware, Metal Slug is a run-and-gun shoot ’em up that puts in the boots of military cadets. It’s been a while since we’ve seen one, though, as Metal Slug 7 launched way back in 2008 on the Nintendo DS before showing up on the PSP a year later as Metal Slug XX.

If you’re looking for something to play in the meantime, though, then we have a list of the best mobile multiplayer games on iOS and Android – handy as you can get all of your friends involved, too.