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Rainbow Six Mobile beginner's guide: How to eliminate all hostiles
Beginner tips to improve at Rainbow Six and prepare for its bite-sized tactical Siege gameplay
Ubisoft has many exciting prospects, including the upcoming mobile strategic shooter Rainbow Six Mobile. Since its announcement in 2022, Rainbow Six Mobile is set to become one of the best games on Android. And if you're curiously aiming to get a preview of how Ubisoft handles this hero shooter on your Android gaming phone before launch, we've structured a beginner's guide that contains insight into how matches play out while offering a hands-on approach.
Apex Legends Mobile is here, warts and all
Electronic arts brings its battle royale hero shooter to Android as a bite-sized offering
We've known since April 2021 that Apex Legends would be going mobile, with the release date finally revealed last week, set for May 17th. Well, that's today, and so the game is officially available. While it took its time coming, now that Apex Legends Mobile is here, it's time to see exactly how the mobile offering stacks up to its console and PC brethren.
Rainbow Six Mobile hands-on: A promising start, even in alpha
A controller is definitely recommended for this tactical shooting game
Yesterday the first closed alpha for Rainbow Six Mobile started rolling out, and Ubisoft has been kind enough to grant Android Police access so that I can share my thoughts with everyone. Keep in mind that this is an alpha, so this bite-sized version of Siege currently exists in an unfinished state where there are only two maps and sixteen characters available. But if you're curious to see precisely how the development of Rainbow Six Mobile is stacking up, we have a 20+ minute gameplay video to share with everyone to illustrate exactly how the alpha plays on Android.
Rainbow Six Mobile fires its first shot — closed alpha starts today
Count yourself lucky if you've got an invite and a supported device
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Like all mobile game releases, a trickle of information to keep eager players hyped is the typical strategy for publishers, and so it comes as no surprise to see Ubisoft plugging a fresh dev diary video that covers the details for the upcoming closed alpha for Rainbow Six Mobile. Earlier this month, Ubisoft officially announced that this bite-sized mobile version of Siege would be landing this year, and today we learn that the first closed alpha will kick off at the beginning of May.
Rainbow Six Mobile is a bite-sized version of Siege, coming this year
Why let Call of Duty have all of the fun?
Plenty of shooters have come and gone on mobile over the years, though there's definitely a resurgence thanks to the success of battle royales like PUBG and Fortnite, ushering in a new era of mobile shooting games like Call of Duty Mobile. Seeing that even Electronic Arts is looking to join in on the fun with the eventual arrival of Battlefield on mobile (let's not forget EA is also bringing Apex Legends to mobile this year), it makes sense Ubisoft would also be eager to jump on the money train before it grows stale, and so the studio has just announced that it will bring an exclusive version of Rainbow Six to both Android and iOS in 2022.
Apex Legends Mobile's limited regional launch kicks off in 10 countries
This testing phase will run until May 3rd
In 2021 Electronic Arts revealed it would bring its hit free-to-play battle royale Apex Legends to mobile, but it wasn't until last month that we learned the mobile interpretation entered into pre-registration on the Google Play Store ahead of an impending soft launch. Well, today is the day, Apex Legends Mobile is now available in ten select territories as a limited regional launch, and the data gleaned from this soft launch should ideally provide EA with the information needed to balance the game's matchmaking and progression systems before the official worldwide release, a good sign we are inching ever-closer to that date, whatever it is.
PUBG: New State is finally available for Android, off to a pretty rough start
Release day woes mar the launch of Krafton's latest battle royale
At the beginning of 2021, Krafton announced that it was working on a mobile version of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds called PUBG: New State. After much testing over the last year, we learned last month that the battle royale was finally ready for prime time, with the official release set for November 11th. Well, that day is today, and so PUBG: New State is now available on the Google Play Store as a free-to-play download. So far, player reviews are middling, with plenty of complaints sprinkled throughout the current 3.7 rating, covering issues like random server disconnects and lag, though to be fair, it is release day, as these kinds of problems tend to be expected.
Hands on with Battlefield Mobile alpha: Is this that hard or am I that bad?
A mobile shooter for the most hardcore of gamers?
With the success of Call of Duty Mobile, it was only a matter of time before Electronic Arts found someone to develop a mobile version of Battlefield. We've known since April that Battlefield Mobile was in development, with a fresh Play Store listing that popped up at the beginning of September. This listing was published in preparation for the first alpha test launched in Indonesia and the Philippines this past weekend. As you can imagine, gameplay videos have been leaking online, and it would seem EA forgot to region lock the game, which is how I was able to sideload the APK to record a 25-minute gameplay video at 1080p/60FPS. So if you'd like to take an extended first look at how the alpha for Battlefield Mobile is shaping up, I've got you covered.
Battlefield Mobile's gameplay leaks online, and it actually looks great
Please EA, don't screw this up
Earlier this month, we learned that Electronic Arts would begin rolling out playtests for the mobile version of Battlefield in autumn. Now that fall is here, the game has entered into early testing in Southeast Asia, so gameplay videos have started to leak online, providing the first look of the Battlefield Mobile in action. So if you've been eager to see what the early alpha gameplay for Battlefield Mobile looks like, we have several enlightening videos to share.
Check out Battlefield Mobile's new Play Store listing ahead of playtests planned for autumn
Five new screenshots offer a first look at the upcoming shooter
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Industrial Toys is working together with DICE to create a Battlefield game for mobile. This will be a standalone game, and Electronic Arts has made it clear that this mobile interpretation will be completely different from the core console and PC versions. Currently, we know the game is entering a testing phase per today's announcement, though Battlefield's mobile version won't be officially released until sometime in 2022, so it's still a long way off.
PUBG: New State enters closed alpha testing as a fresh entry in the series, here's a full hour of gameplay
The latest battle royale from Krafton, and it takes place in the future
Last night the closed alpha for PUBG: New State kicked off, and thanks to Krafton, I've gained access so that I can show precisely what this alpha brings to the table. I've recorded a full hour of 1080p 60FPS gameplay, spanning three drops into the new Troi map, and I also went out of my way to show all of the game's menus and settings at the start of the video. So if you're curious to see precisely what PUBG: New State's closed alpha has to offer, my lengthy gameplay video should answer all of your questions.
Spiritfarer joins Stadia, and PGA Tour 2K21 is available again after a buggy launch
2K pulled through in the end
Back in March, DOOM 2016 was one of AP's most-wanted games for Stadia, and surprise surprise, Google has released the shooter on Stadia as of this morning (8/18/20) along with Superhot: Mind Control Delete, the sequel to Superhot. You can snag DOOM 2016 for $19.99, which is the same price as the Steam version, and Superhot: Mind Control Delete is currently available at a discount at $17.49 (or $14.99 if you're a Pro subscriber).
Doom and Doom II updated with better touch controls, adjustable FPS limits, expanded controller support, and more
Go ahead and lock the game to 30FPS, you crazy retro fan, you
Bethesda recently updated the Android versions of Doom and Doom II to bring a bunch of new features to the titles, such as tweaked touch controls, support for adjustable frame rate limits, not to mention physical controller support along with mouse and keyboard support. Heck, Bethesda even added a toggle for Vsync (a rarity for a mobile game), for those of you that would like to reduce either title's input latency. So no matter how you slice it, it would appear that Bethesda has actually improved both games, though it could be argued that all of these features should have been available in both titles from the jump.
Back in November of 2019, Madfinger's competitive first-person shooter Shadowgun War Games arrived on the Play Store for pre-registration. At the tail end of January, we learned the game would be officially released on February 12th, though it would appear Madfinger hit a few snags yesterday, and so the game was released late in the day, which is probably why the official PR didn't go out until this morning. Still, Shadowgun War Games is now officially available for all to enjoy, though it currently feels unfinished despite the presence of multiple subscription passes.
An official Call of Duty: Mobile account on Reddit has revealed that a significant update is coming to the game later today. It's slated to arrive at 21:00 PST, and this update will include controller support, a new zombie mode, and new maps. A new Battle Pass is also coming, but it won't arrive until November 25th. Back when I covered the release of Call of Duty: Mobile in October, I was delighted with the shooter, though the missing controller support was a sticking point. Thankfully Activision has been listening to its fans, so the announcement for today's update is indeed very welcome news.
Back in 2018, I went hands-on with the 180906.1826 build of PAYDAY: Crime War, a first-person shooter that at the time suffered from lackluster controls and uneven matchmaking. This past August, the game was released in the US as a limited beta, and I guess things have not been working out in the last three months since the developer has announced that PAYDAY: Crime War will be shut down on December 16, 2019. The only silver lining to take away from this announcement is that the game may return under a new publisher in the future, though this deal is currently pending, so it may not work out.
Back in March Activision and Tencent officially announced Call of Duty: Mobile at the 2019 Game Developers Conference, and in the middle of last month we learned that the mobile shooter would be officially released on the Google Play Store on October 1st, which means the game is now available on Android. As expected, this is a free-to-play release. In-app purchases, loot boxes, and a premium pass are included, not to mention a plethora of cosmetic items and an expensive in-game currency. Still, the amount of nostalgia offered in the title is hard to ignore, and the gameplay luckily holds up, which is why the game is definitely worth a look.
A Facebook post from the official PAYDAY: Crime War account announced the US beta access last Friday, and specifically mentions that this access will only be around for a limited time. There's no word when this beta will end, so if you're curious how the game plays and happen live in the US, you'll want to jump in as soon as possible. What's odd about this info is that there's an earlier Facebook post that mentions this limited beta is a closed beta (which generally means you need an invite), though, from the looks of it, anyone in the US should be able to play today by installing the game.
Shadowgun Legends has been updated to version 0.8.0, and this update brings a hefty amount of new features, content, and improvements. If you're unfamiliar with the title, it's a first-person shooter stuffed with over 200 single-player missions, and it also offers a wide selection of multiplayer content. It's basically mobile's version of Destiny, and with the changes brought with this recent update, players can jump into a new Capture the Flag PvP mode as well as work their way through the main campaign with their friends by their side.
PAYDAY: Crime War is a new first-person shooter for Android that recently entered into a closed beta on September 10th, and it runs until October 14th. Unlike Payday 2, you can now play as cops and robbers, which is an interesting twist. The idea is that teams of fours cops face get to off against teams of four robbers, and it works out well. Of course, this is still a Payday title, so you can also expect plenty of loot to collect, equip, and upgrade, along with a ranked mode for those that take their mobile shooters seriously. It's Payday in your pocket, and it's coming soon to Android.