Activision Mobile VP of Product shares “copy what works” approach behind COD Mobile success

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Story Highlights

  • Call of Duty Mobile found success by adapting proven ideas, learning from past mobile shooter trends.
  • Matt Lewis admitted early COD mobile attempts didn’t work.

The game Call of Duty Mobile is currently one of the most successful action titles out there, and it’s no small feat for new releases to replicate its success. However, Matthew Lewis, Vice President of Product, Mobile at Activision, suggests a simple strategy: “emulate what works“.

At GDC 2025, Matt Lewis discussed the key factors that led to the success of Call of Duty: Mobile, emphasizing the importance of learning from effective strategies, as he presented in the “Mobile’s Impact on Today’s Gaming” session, according to mobilegamer.biz.

Partnering with Tencent’s Timi Studio, Activision fine-tuned the game for mobile

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but admit that Lewis himself acknowledged that the initial foray of Call of Duty into the mobile gaming world didn’t quite strike the right chord. The early endeavor was a premium game, which was later followed by Call of Duty: Heroes, a free-to-play builder-battler that, in his own words, “largely mimicked” the 4X strategy games that were all the rage back then.

The creation of COD Mobile commenced in 2017 even before games like PUBG Mobile and Free Fire gained significant popularity, yet Activision recognized the potential for mobile shooting games following the success of Crossfire Mobile in China.

To make the game more realistic, they teamed up with Tencent Games’ Timi Studio, focusing on a 5 versus 5 mode initially. However, as PUBG Mobile and Free Fire demonstrated the need for comprehensive mobile shooter games, Activision altered their strategy, moving towards a mobile-optimized version of the classic Call of Duty experience.

Following that, as you’re aware, Call of Duty: Mobile quickly rose to fame within its genre, reporting an impressive milestone of over 500 million downloads and generating more than $1 billion in earnings, all within two years since its debut.

During this whole journey, Lewis gained some insights of his own that he passed on: “I’m happy to admit it, replicate what succeeds.” He feels that creating games isn’t solely about unique concepts, but also about learning from successful trends and making them your own. Summing up, he advises: “Just stay humble and observe what’s thriving.

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2025-03-20 19:12