Tag: Free to play

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Dawn Awakening is a promising open-world zombie game launching in closed beta this month

Dawn Awakening is a zombie survival game from Tencent, who also brought us PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty: Mobile. While we don’t have an exact release date, we can confirm Dawn Awakening enters a closed beta test in China on September 16.

Tencent’s Lightspeed & Quantum studios revealed that Dawn Awakening aims to bring a console-like survival experience to mobile. The two-minute trailer revealed integral parts of gameplay, including scavenging for supplies, building your own base out in the wilderness, and tonnes of zombies. We were also given a glimpse at the world map, revealing multiple locations to explore, including small towns, a once densely populated metropolis, and plenty of wilderness.

What may well set Dawn Awakening apart from the myriad of zombie survival games on mobile is the dynamic weather, deadly interactive environments, and your survival meters. It appears that even features like cleanliness have been taken into account, as dirty clothes attract zombies, and poor hygiene upsets NPCs. Whether you are a fan of Tencent or not, Dawn Awakening looks like a well-polished, base-building, zombie survival game built for mobile.

Daniel Ahmad, a senior analyst at Niko Partners, broke the news over Twitter and was kind enough to include the new trailer. If you haven’t seen anything about Dawn Awakening, then we thoroughly recommend watching the trailer below.

Precise details about Dawn Awakening are still emerging, but it looks like the game definitely has a base-building component, as well as some character management, all while avoiding the swarms of bloodthirsty ravenous zombies.

If you would like to pre-register for Dawn Awakening, you can do so from the TapTap website for both Android and iOS devices.

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Garena Free Fire adds Jai its first Indian character

Garena, the Singapore based publisher of Free Fire, has unveiled its first Indian playable character based on Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan. The new character, Jai, also sees the introduction of an exciting new campaign called ‘be the hero’.

This new addition to Free Fire comes after the Indian ministry of information and technology decided to ban over a hundred mobile games and applications, including PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite. It is well known that PUBG Mobile has a huge fan base in India, with over 175 million downloads since the game’s launch. Indian PUBG players have been aware of an incoming ban since as early as last year and began looking for battle royale alternatives. Interestingly, Free Fire’s popularity has grown over 880% in India since September 2019, significantly more than PUBG’s growth of 261% over the same period.

Garena is also not under scrutiny from the Indian Government as the ban has only affected Chinese-based mobile applications so far. This new character could be Garena’s opportunity to draw in more players following the widescale ban.

The character collaboration with Hrithik Roshan isn’t Garena’s first either. Alok was another character introduction based upon the popular Brazilian DJ of the same name. Free Fire also recently ran a collaboration the with Netflix series, Money Heist, adding a game mode and a bunch of new outfits.

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If you’re unsure about giving Garena Free Fire a go then check out the new character trailer above. We also have a list of great battle royale games, for anyone affected by the PUBG Mobile India ban.

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The Witcher: Monster Slayer shows off its first gameplay trailer

CD Projekt has revealed some gameplay for its new Witcher mobile game on Android and iOS. The Witcher: Monster Slayer is a location-based monster-hunting RPG, where you take on the role of a Witcher and travel the Continent, dealing death to its most fearsome beasties. The game is developed and published by Spokko, an independent mobile game development studio who became part of the CD Projekt Red group in 2018. Here’s the setup for the game:

“Foul creatures roam the vast lands of the Continent — and it falls to those known as witchers to hunt them down. Set long before the time of Geralt of Rivia, The Witcher: Monster Slayer is an augmented-reality exploration game that challenges you to become an elite monster hunter. See the world around you transformed into the dark fantasy realm of The Witcher, and explore once-familiar locations now infested with dangerous beasts as you start on the path as a professional monster slayer.”

The new gameplay footage shows sword combat that looks somewhat remiscent of The Elder Scrolls: Blades, with blocking and directional sword swipes. But there are also bombs available, and signs, so you can bring the full Witcher arsenal to bear against whichever fearsome beast you face.

You can watch the gameplay for yourself below:

Monster Slayer seems to have some of the same investigative mechanics as The Witcher, as you uncover clues, and follow trails to find your quarry. It also looks like there are merchants and NPCs in the game.

We don’t currently know when The Witcher: Monster Slayer is coming to Android and iOS, but we do know the release date will be revealed later this year. If you live in New Zealand, however, the game is currently undergoing a play test on iOS, so be sure to grab it.

If you’re looking for more AR games in the meantime, be sure to check out our list of the best location-based games on mobile. We also have a pretty great list of the best mobile RPGs – if we do say so ourselves!

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Marvel Super War is now available in Australia and New Zealand

Marvel Super War has blasted its way onto iOS and Android in Australia and New Zealand. Marvel’s first-ever MOBA originally hit mobile devices in December 2019 and over the past year has become available in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, South Korea, Japan, and India. This most recent release also brings the game to Australia and New Zealand.

Marvel teamed up with NetEase Games to create a five-on-five real-time MOBA featuring all your favourite Marvel characters. Take control of over 50 heroes and villains from the Marvel universe, each with their own unique moves and playstyle. The 55+ characters are split into six types: fighter, energy, marksman, assassin, tank, and support. This means that strategy and a well-balanced team are essential, for those who want to win big.

If you are a fan of Marvel games and live in any of the regions specified above, you can grab a copy of Marvel Super War from the App Store or Google Play for free. If you don’t live in any of the selected regions, then you may want to check out Marvel Duel, a new Marvel-themed auto chess game which came out last month.

Fancy checking out some gameplay for Marvel Super War? Then check out the trailer below:

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It has not been confirmed whether we shall see Marvel Super War make its way to a global release, but if that does change, you will be the first to know.

For more arena-battling goodness, check out our list of the best mobile MOBAs.

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Tencent make more than Microsoft and Nintendo combined

Tencent’s revenue in the final quarter of 2019 was around $5.22bn, more than Nintendo and Microsoft combined, according to a report published by ForexSchoolOnline. The report outlines the top performers of the gaming industry in the fourth quarter of last year.

Tencent owns stakes in some of the biggest games companies globally, including Riot Games, a 40% stake in Epic Games, an 84% stake in SuperCell, and minority stakes in Call of Duty, and Assassin’s Creed. It’s also the operator of China’s equivalent of Steam, a platform called WeGame. However, Tencent doesn’t just make money from creating video games, it also owns the third biggest Android app store in China, the Tencent Appstore. The conglomerate also operates WeChat – a social networking and mobile payment app with over a billion monthly active users.

The report revealed that Nintendo came fifth with $2.28bn, Microsoft came in at fourth with $2.83bn, followed by Apple at $2.88bn, with Sony in second place at $3.879bn. A remarkable nine companies recorded over one billion from the final quarter of 2019 alone.

For those of you curious about the report and who the top 20 gaming revenue public companies of Q4 2019 are, then check out the list below:

  • Tencent: $5.23
  • Sony: $3.88
  • Apple: $2.89
  • Microsoft: $2.83
  • Nintendo: $2.29
  • Google: $1.88
  • Activision Blizzard: $1.75
  • NetEase: $1.67
  • EA: $1.59
  • TakeTwo Interactive: $0.93
  • Bandai Namco: $0.72
  • Warner Bros: $0.57
  • 37 Interactive: $0.53
  • Ubisoft: $0.51
  • Century Huatong: $0.48
  • Netmarble: $0.48
  • Square Enix: $0.47
  • Nexon: $0.45
  • NCSoft: $0.42
  • Sea Group: $0.40

All data is in billions.

Are you a fan of Tencent games? Then you should check out our Gameloop download guide, or our PUBG Mobile redeem guide. 

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Apple and Google kick Fortnite off mobile

Fortnite is no longer available to download from the App Store and Google Play following Epic’s latest update, which featured a workaround where you could pay less for V-bucks by avoiding the 30% cut both mobile game stores take whenever you make a purchase. Epic appears to have expected this reaction, as it has also launched a lawsuit against Apple. 

“Apple has become what it once railed against: the behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation,” says the injunction. “Apple is bigger, more powerful, more entrenched, and more pernicious than the monopolists of yesteryear. At a market cap of nearly $2 trillion, Apple’s size and reach far exceeds that of any technology monopolist in history.” 

The injunction refers to the 1984 Apple commercial, where the Macintosh is the revolutionary force breaking IBM’s monopoly over the computing market. Using an in-game Fornite parody of the famous advert, Epic suggests that Apple has become what it once vowed to stop – a monopoly, using anti-competitive restraints to choke the market.

If you’ve never seen the original Macintosh Super Bowl advert, you can find it on YouTube. We recommend watching the original first before you check out Fortnite’s parody below.

Epic’s lawsuit explains that it’s not seeking financial compensation or favourable treatment by suing the multi-trillion-dollar conglomerate. Instead, Epic is seeking to relieve what they refer to as the ‘monopoly’ that Apple has over the iOS app distribution market, and the in-app payment processing market.

It’s not clear what the result of the injunction will be, or how long we will have to wait before we see Fortnite readily available on all smartphones again. 

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Ezio from Assassin’s Creed is now a playable character in AFK Arena

Lilith Games has announced that the loveable rogue from Assassin’s Creed, Ezio Auditore, is playable from today in AFK Arena. The Master Assassin is available for free during his first week, meaning you can try him out for yourself before deciding whether you want to purchase him for good. This character update comes after the news that AFK Arena recently reached 40 million downloads just in time for its first birthday.

“We’re excited to see AFK Arena’s core audience continuing to explode across the globe,” comments Xiao Dong, Producer of AFK Arena. “We’re thrilled to add Ezio from Assassin’s Creed to our hero lineup from today.”

For those that don’t know, AFK Arena is a fantasy idle-RPG well known for its unique art style. In the game, you build a party from a selection of 100 heroes belonging to seven different factions, and face off against enemy armies invading the land of Esperia. But as AFK is also an idle game, you can sit back and relax while doing this – letting your heroes fight for you to gain xp and rewards.

If you want to learn more, you can watch the snazzy live action trailer for the crossover below:

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For those wanting to play AFK Arena, we’ve got plenty of content to keep you satisfied! Check out our AFK Arena tier list to know what characters are worth playing, and also our AFK Arena codes selection.

If you fancy checking out Ezio for yourself, you can download AFK Arena on Google Play and the App Store!

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Hot Wheels Unlimited races into soft launch in Canada, Australia, and the UK

Budge Studios has soft-launched a new Hot Wheels game on mobile. Hot Wheels Unlimited is a mobile version of what every Hot Wheels fan dreams of – a racing game where you can build your very own custom tracks.

The game is set in Hot Wheels City, a busy metropolis full of challenges designed to test your speedy skills. Once you’ve let your hair down, you can zoom into the Build-A-Race Festival, where you get to build your very own track and race against your friends. Besides constructing the craziest course ever, you can build your very own collection of iconic speedsters by completing challenges and earning some red wheels. Exchange these wheels for your favourite Hot Wheels, like the monster truck and Rodger Dodger.

Unfortunately for some, Hot Wheels Unlimited is only available to download in select regions. These include Canada, Australia and the UK. While we don’t have an exact global release date for Hot Wheels Unlimited, we can show you the new gameplay trailer and keep you updated for when the game is released.

If you are curious about the gameplay of Hot Wheels Unlimited, then check out the trailer below:

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It’s not often that a 30-second trailer gets us excited, but just looking at those crazy tracks makes me want to dust off my crash helmet and take on the Nemeses.

Hot Wheels Unlimited has soft launched on the App Store and Google Play. If you are in the mood for kicking some butt, why not check out our best mobile multiplayer games guide?

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Another Eden is giving away a free five-star unit to celebrate five million downloads

WFS Inc has announced that its popular RPG, Another Eden, has achieved five million downloads since it first launched back in 2017. So to celebrate the momentous occasion WFS are giving away a free five-star unit – all you need to do is play through the special encounter which is available until September 16.

Everyday a new Whisper of Time encounter is going to appear in-game – complete this to receive a Whisper of Time drop. Once you’ve collected ten of these bad-boys, the encounter that’ll get you your free five-star becomes available – simple enough, right? In case you don’t get time before the end date, Whisper of Time drops are also still usable until October 14.

For those that don’t know, Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Space and Time – to use its full name – is a mobile JRPG that first dropped a few years back, before releasing worldwide early last year. Since its release, Eden has received a lot of praise for its story, soundtrack, and characters, soliciting many favourable comparisons with RPGs on PC and console.

But don’t take our word for it – you can watch the launch trailer below:

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To further celebrate the five million, we are also getting a Divine Paladin version of the character, Anabel, and there are plenty of other fateful encounters for you to try, as well as two special summer campaigns to undertake.

If you want to see what all the fuss is about, Another Eden is available on Google Play and the App Store. If you’re currently wanting for more recommendations, our list of the best mobile RPGs, and best mobile MMORPGs have plenty of great games to choose from!

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Garena releases new Free Fire Sushi Menace elite pass

Garena has announced that the latest elite pass for Garena Free Fire is sushi-themed. Sushi Menace brings the world-famous Free Fire series into a quaint little sushi restaurant somewhere in Japan. Although, this is no ordinary sushi shack. It is the neutral meeting ground of two former warring mafia factions, where the fate of this dinner will decide if the partnership continues, or if the factions return to war.

The Sushi Menace elite pass introduces Taku and Shiori, the owners and chefs of the House of Knives. These martial arts experts don’t just know their way around a California roll; they are weapon masters in their own right, with Shiori specialising in pistols and knives, and Taku preferring katanas and rifles.

The owners of the House of Knives take on a comic book-like lifestyle, working days at their sushi restaurant, and nights as the Sushi Menace, a bounty hunting group. The elite pass doesn’t just put sushi on the menu though. There are a load of skins and backpacks, some of which include special effects.

There are plenty of juicy rewards for you to get your hands on in the Sushi Menace elite pass. We’ve listed a few examples of the sushi themed rewards below:

  • Sashimi slasher bundle skin (male)
  • Ramen slayer bundle skin (female)
  • Sashimi boat backpack skin
  • Salmon surfer skin
  • Sushi Menace grenade skin

Fancy looking at the teaser trailer for the Sushi Menace elite pass? Then watch the video below:

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You can download a free copy of Garena Free Fire from the App Store or Google Play.

Or, if you’re looking for the best multiplayer games mobile has to offer, you can check out the best mobile multiplayer games guide.