C.O.D

Call of Duty Mobile update: Maps, modes and everything you need to know about smartphone COD

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- The maps, modes and more

- Information on battle royale

- Can you play it now?

Call of Duty is now available for iPhone and Android. After a successful closed beta test, the game is now available to all.

But what is Call of Duty: Mobile? Is it a conversion of one of the console/PC CODs? Or is it a standalone game designed just for smartphones?

Find out in our handy guide to the new game from Activision.

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What is COD: Mobile?

Call of Duty: Mobile was first announced in March 2019, with publisher Activision revealing that it would like to develop more smartphone games in future.

It has been developed by Tencent studio Timi, which has experience in creating multiplayer online games for mobile platforms.

At present, all modes are player-versus-player (PVP) - including battle royale. However, Activision has revealed that the game will not not be exclusively multiplayer, with additional modes of play to be added at a later date.

The majority of play is on maps and with characters and weapons that have appeared in multiple Call of Duty titles over the years, including the Modern Warfare and Black Ops series. Some will be added in time.

It is now available on Android and iOS. You can get the Android app here. Apple iPhone, iPod touch and iPad owners can get it from here.

Is Call of Duty: Mobile available now?

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Yes! After a closed beta period that took place in India, Canada and Australia, the game was fully released on Tuesday 1 October 2019.

It is available in "all countries where Google Play and App Store are supported, with the exceptions of Mainland China, Vietnam and Belgium".

How much does it cost?

Call of Duty: Mobile is free-to-play with in-app purchases for COD points to be exchanged for weapons and skins. You can also earn them by playing, so should be able to power-up (albeit more slowly) without spending a penny.

Like other games in the genre - PUBG Mobile for example - you also get access to additional items as you level up. You can use CoD points to skip some of the tiers to provide access more directly.

There is a free Battle Pass as well as a Premium Battle Pass. 

What gameplay modes will be available?

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The first set of gameplay modes are all multiplayer and are fan favourites.

You can pick between three types of match: normal, ranked or private, depending on the other players you wish to face off against. Ranked matches will reward XP and other items).

The multiplayer gameplay modes so far are Free-For-All, Frontline, Hardpoint, Domination and, of course, Team Deathmatch. 

All are team-based, with two competing teams of five players, bar Free-For-All which is, as the name suggests, every player fighting for him or herself. This latter mode allows for a maximum of eight players in one match.

In addition to these, a Battle Royale mode is available - a la PUBG and Fortnite. It should be familiar to players of Blackout on Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 but not identical.

The game initially includes multiplayer modes and Battle Royale, but other modes and content will be made available further down the line.

How does Call of Duty: Mobile Battle Royale work?

Battle Royale mode is custom-built for the mobile game and, while there are some similarities with Blackout, it is unique to the series.

It unlocks in the game once you have reached level seven.

Matches host up to 100 players on the same map, with single, two-person and four-person playlists promised. That means you should be able to play solo, two-player and in teams of four.

Like Blackout, you drop from above the map and must battle to be the last person standing. If you are in a team, you can revive teammates, who drop back into play once healed.

There are different character classes to choose from before a round: Defender, Mechanic, Scout, Clown, Medic or Ninja. Each has an individual ability to call upon.

There are also vehicles to drive in Battle Royale, including an ATV, light helicopter, SUV and a tactical raft. These could help you more quickly avoid the ever-decreasing circle of death as the game progresses.

Perhaps the most important difference between Battle Royale and the other multiplayer modes is that you can also play using a third-person perspective as well as the traditional first-person. As there are some benefits to this, the choice must be made before a match so you all players you face use the same viewpoint throughout each game.

What maps are available in Call of Duty: Mobile?

Some of the best-loved multiplayer maps from the COD series will be available in Call of Duty: Mobile.

These include Nuketown from Black Ops, Crash from the Modern Warfare series, and Hijacked from Black Ops 2. More are being announced all the while.

Also from Modern Warfare, you will be able to play on Crossfire and Killhouse. The reworked Firing Range from Black Ops 4 will be available. And, Standoff from Black Ops 2 is on the list.

All of these maps are true fan faves.

The COD: Mobile Battle Royale map is made up of elements from across multiple Call of Duty games; taken from the Modern Warfare and Black Ops series.

Can I play as different Call of Duty characters in the mobile game?

As well as the different classes in Battle Royale mode, characters from across the COD games will be available to play as in the other game modes, with customisation of loadouts, headgear, backpacks and clothing possible.

While we've not yet seen them ourselves, Activision has so far announced that Alex Mason and David "Section" Mason, from the Black Ops series, will both be available. Modern Warfare fans might want to play as John "Soap" McTavish, Simon "Ghost" Riley or John Price. While a Call of Duty: Ghosts character also returns, in the guise of Thomas A. Merrick.

Are there Scorestreaks and loadouts?

As with all recent Call of Duty games, there are Scorestreaks and loadouts in Call of Duty: Mobile.

Scorestreaks are unlockable (through XP) accessories you can use at points in your matches. Up to three can be assigned to your character before you enter a match.

They include the Recon Car, UAV, Hunter Killer Drone, Air Supply Drop, Counter UAV, Missile Strike, Drone, Sentry Gun, SAM Turret, Stealth Chopper and VTOL.

A pre-match loadout menu is available for you to change what weapons to assign to your character before battles.

Weapons themselves can also be customised - aesthetically through skins or with attachments that will alter their in-game properties.

You can take primary and secondary weapons into a match, a grenade (explosive or tactical), plus a weapon skill between the (currently announced) following: Purifier (flamethrower), War Machine (grenade launcher), Death Machine (minigun), Transform Shield (deformable shield), Sparrow (bow), and Tempest (electrical bolt rifle).

Perks can also be assigned, each of which offering different abilities, including Fast Recover to improve health regeneration speeds, and Demo Expert to improve your explosives damage. Up to three of those can be assigned too.

There are five loadout slots per character, so you can chop and change them without needing to fill them in each time.