It is no secret that diversifying Xbox’s portfolio is a huge part of Microsoft’s strategy. While many of its acquisitions have been aimed at expanding its first-party lineup for Xbox consoles, and PC. The Activision Blizzard acquisition was much more than just providing more first-party games and exclusives in its ecosystem. Perhaps one of the least reported aspects of the Activision deal is King Mobile which is a big revenue earner for Activision. King Mobile is behind the massive mobile game Candy Crush and many more popular mobile titles. With Microsoft pushing cloud streaming and acquiring a mobile giant, it appears that a play in the mobile market might be coming. This was further confirmed by The Verge’s Tom Warren this past weekend.
Xbox Mobile Store Coming In 2024
During the Iron Lords Podcast this past Sunday, Tom Warren appeared as a guest. Offering a variety of insights into the closing of the Activision Blizzard acquisition. One of these insights was the eventual release of an Xbox Mobile Store. Warren has previously reported on this store before back in 2022. He doubles down and says that Microsoft is interested in building out this store with many of its published properties. This mobile storefront will release in 2024 as per Warren’s information. Given his track record in reporting, I would almost guarantee that this is accurate at least for the time being. As we have learned many times before, a leak can have the correct information, but the time in which a product is launched by a company can often run into hiccups.
The building of an Xbox Mobile Store only makes sense given the massive catalog of mobile games now owned by Microsoft. They already have a surprisingly good back catalog of great mobile titles with Mighty Doom, Elder Scrolls Blades, and Fallout Shelter. Now with the addition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft controls Candy Crush, Call Of Duty: Mobile, Hearthstone, and Diablo Immortals. All highly successful mobile titles that bring in massive revenue on a consistent yearly basis. It would only make sense that Microsoft would want to take a heavier cut of those profits through its own Xbox mobile store. This would also allow them to drive mobile gamers into the Xbox ecosystem, which is a major goal in Microsoft’s long-term strategy. We could perhaps begin to see mobile game perks slide into Xbox Game Pass eventually. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out next year as Microsoft makes a play in the mobile market.
What do you think of an Xbox Mobile store? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to check back for the latest gaming news and information.
