Call of Duty: Mobile had the most successful first week for a mobile game ever, pulling in 100 million downloads.
Call of Duty: Mobile just claimed the record for the biggest mobile game launch ever, garnering 100 million downloads in its first week. The free-to-play shooter launched to immense success Oct. 1, reaching 35 million downloads in its first three days.
Downloads for Call of Duty: Mobile hasn’t slowed down much since then. Using data from app tracker Sensor Tower, CNBC reported on the game’s record-breaking launch today. Call of Duty: Mobile’s launch shattered the first-week download record that had been claimed by Mario Kart Tour just a few days earlier. With 90 million downloads, Mario Kart Tour claimed the record from Pokemon Go at that time, which had 85.5 million downloads in its first week.
When compared to similar games, Call of Duty: Mobile’s first week looks even more impressive. The mobile version of Fortnite got only 22.5 million downloads in its first week, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds got 28 million. Both of those games already had successful console iterations before coming to mobile platforms.
Related: How To Play Call Of Duty Mobile Battle Royale
Despite being free-to-play, Call of Duty: Mobile is likely going to be a financial boon for Activision. Like most free-to-play mobile games, Call of Duty: Mobile comes packed with microtransactions, including in-game currencies and a battle pass. Within days of its release, Call of Duty: Mobile had already pulled in $2 million from microtransactions.
Call of Duty: Mobile also has a larger potential audience than most mobile games, since the Tencent-owned studio TiMi owns it. It’s available on Gameloop, Tencent’s official PC emulation platform, making Call of Duty: Mobile playable with a keyboard and mouse. This mechanic gives it access to a whole new pool of players who would rather play on a PC than on their phones.
Call of Duty: Mobile may have a longer shelf life than other mobile games, owing to the support from industry heavyweights Activision and Tencent. The game launched with traditional team multiplayer and battle royale modes, and the much-anticipated Zombies mode is expected to make its debut soon.
