It seems like a much slower month for Android gaming news, especially after so many companies revealed plans to bring some of their most popular series to mobile in recent months. Though we didn't see such announcements this month, Android fans did get a brand new game, alongside a huge update for Genshin Impact. Topping it all off, PlayStation announced its own mobile plans with a new studio acquisition.
Let's dive into the biggest mobile news over the last month.
Sumeru and the Dendro element finally grace Genshin Impact
It's been over a year since Genshin Impact released its last major region with Inazuma in Update 2.0, and although we've scoured additional areas like The Chasm in between, players have been left waiting for Update 3.0 to explore a brand new region. Sumeru has now joined the game as a playable location, along with the long-awaited Dendro element.
Watching Genshin Impact continue to grow over the years with an almost religious 42-day update cadence has been amazing. This is one of the best examples of a live service game done right, delivering new gameplay options to keep fans interested, and an ongoing story that keeps them coming back for more.
I've spent way more money than I'd like to admit in Genshin Impact (let's just say well over $100) trying to get a couple of different characters in its limited-time banner event wishes, but I've saved up over 17,000 Primogems this time around, and I'm gunning for Tighnari. If my math is correct, I'm guaranteed to get him because that should give me more than 100 wishes and Genshin gives you a pity 5-star every 90 pulls, but fingers crossed I won't need all of them.
Tower of Fantasy challenges Genshin Impact's throne
Tower of Fantasy's popularity could be seen from a mile away from anyone familiar with Genshin Impact. Though it's not always fair to make that comparison, it's fairly apt here, even if Tower of Fantasy is more than just a "Genshin clone" that some have likened it to. Chinese developer Perfect World created a compelling sci-fi open-world MMORPG with an intuitive combat system and plenty of rewards to keep players invested.
Despite being pretty buggy for a lot of people — it even crashed on some of our team members multiple times in the opening 30 minutes —It's already a juggernaut on PC and mobile. I could see it becoming even bigger if a console release is thrown into the mix at some point, and the performance problems are worked out. I've played a little bit of Tower of Fantasy already, and can see myself spending a lot of time in it. I just have checks notes dozens of other games to play, too. That sound you hear in the distance is the sound of me crying, and my free time dwindling.
PlayStation bolsters mobile games division with Savage Game Studios
PlayStation is ramping up its studio acquisitions, this time with a developer meant to shore up its mobile game offerings. Hermen Hulst revealed in a blog post that the company had bought Savage Game Studios, which is already hard at work on a new AAA live-service action game for mobile. As with other recent moves from PlayStation, the company sees this as a way to expand its growing audience beyond console and PC.
That said, Hulst assured fans that this acquisition and its mobile plans "in no way diminish our commitment to the PlayStation community, nor our passion to keep making amazing single-player, narrative-driven experiences." Savage Game Studios joins the newly created PlayStation Studios Mobile Division, operating independently from its console development.
This is a big move for PlayStation, and one that will bring more titles to Android gamers worldwide. So long as PlayStation's console and PC output remain as high quality as they have in the past, I can only see this as being a net positive. If they let me use a good Android controller to play these games, I can't complain.
Moving slowly ahead
I was a little surprised we didn't hear anything about upcoming games like Valorant Mobile or Battlefield Mobile, but maybe those companies are waiting until next year to ramp things up. In the meantime, I'll be playing Genshin Impact and trying not to pull out my wallet for any more banners.
– Jennifer Locke
