Call of Duty: Mobile

Call of Duty: Mobile took twenty years of the series' history and packed it into a single free app you can download to your phone in moments. The developers at TiMi Studio Group, a Chinese studio owned by Tencent, already had experience with mobile versions of major shooter franchises from other projects, and it showed – the game offers classic multiplayer on iconic maps like Nuketown or Crash, plus a battle royale mode on the sprawling Isolated map inspired by Blackout, and steadily growing seasonal content with its own battle pass, new weapons, and story events tied to the series' current entries.

Touchscreen controls come down to a virtual joystick on the left and shooting buttons on the right, plus an optional auto-aim that makes the game accessible even to players with no experience of classic controllers, while it still keeps a perk selection and loadout customization similar to the series' big console entries. That was the key to its success: Call of Duty: Mobile doesn't try to replace the console entries but to offer their atmosphere to someone playing on a five-inch screen on the tram. Over the years the game has also built up a professional esports scene with its own world championship. Monetization runs through cosmetic bundles, the battle pass, and occasional loot crates with weapon skins – gameplay itself remains untouched by the free-to-play model, which sets the game apart from a number of competing titles.

Why play: For players who want the Call of Duty multiplayer experience on their phone for free, without having to pay for an in-game advantage, even though they won't entirely avoid the battle pass and cosmetic purchases.