Last month, Activision and Square Enix announced that they would be hosting a NieR: Automata collaboration event in Call of Duty: Mobile. The event, which launched alongside the Season 5 update for the game on May 28, features a bunch of NieR-themed content, including a limited-time game mode, several weapons, and some skins. Activision hasn't confirmed an end date for the event yet, but Call of Duty: Mobile players who are fans of the NieR franchise will likely want to check it out as soon as possible, since some of its crossover content can be obtained for free.
Call of Duty: Mobile's new NieR: Automata game mode pits players against a horde of Machine Lifeforms (the robot enemies that players face off against in the NieR series) in a war-torn region. Those who complete the mode can unlock a 9S skin for Ryotaro "Kui Ji" Nagashima, along with a few weapons. Meanwhile, players who pay money to get access to the two NieR-themed Draw banners in this update can acquire a 2B skin for Lizbeth "Kestrel" Warnholdt and a Commander White outfit for Fiona St. George. Some melee weapons from NieR: Automata are obtainable as part of these Draws, as well.
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Call of Duty Should Collaborate with Eastern Franchises More Often
The NieR: Automata Collab is a Refreshing Addition to Call of Duty: Mobile
In the last several years, Call of Duty has gained a reputation for unusual collaboration events like this one. Although some players aren't happy about these collabs, since they detract from the series' immersion and realism, Call of Duty: Mobile's NieR event manages to succeed where others have failed. NieR: Automata and Call of Duty have very little in common with each other, but their new crossover event in Call of Duty: Mobile still works because it contains a decent amount of new content that isn't completely locked behind a paywall. Plus, the mainline CoD games have almost never collaborated with JRPG franchises like NieR before, but this is something that should occur more frequently in the future.
The Crossover Events CoD: Mobile Has With Eastern IPs Often Don't Make their Way to the West
Unlike the mainline CoD installments, Call of Duty: Mobile has always been more open to crossovers with anime-adjacent franchises. While the Call of Duty titles on consoles primarily focus on collaborations with Western IPs, Call of Duty: Mobile often hosts events involving Eastern IPs. Considering that CoD: Mobile is made by TiMi Studios, a Chinese subsidiary of Tencent, this shouldn't come as a surprise. Since the developer of the game is Asian, it makes sense that the studio attempts to appeal to Asian audiences with its collaboration picks.
In the last several years, Call of Duty: Mobile has crossed over with several notable anime-themed series, such as Ghost in the Shell, Girls' Frontline, and Ling Cage. Oddly, though, most of these crossovers have only been available in Asian territories. The international version of CoD: Mobile has often missed out on these unusual collaborations, even though Korean and Chinese players typically have access to them. Even when the global edition of CoD: Mobile does get one of these events, it's usually added several years later.
Activision Should Be More Open to Collaborating With Franchises Like NieR in the Future
The reason why the availability of these collaborations is so inconsistent is that Call of Duty: Mobile is operated by different companies around the world. While Activision publishes the global edition of the game, studios like Garena, Tencent, and VMG Corporation publish other versions of the game in certain countries. Out of all these companies, though, Activision seems to be the only one that has an aversion to adding anime-adjacent IPs to its CoD games, in spite of the fact that Eastern franchises are no longer niche in the West. It would be nice if the publisher did things like the NieR collab more often, not just in Call of Duty: Mobile, but in the mainline CoD titles, as well.
Call of Duty Mobile
- Released
- October 1, 2019
- ESRB
- r
- Developer(s)
- TiMi Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Call of Duty
WHERE TO PLAY
CALL OF DUTY®: MOBILE boasts console-quality HD gaming on your phone with customizable and intuitive controls, voice and text chat with your friends, and state-of-the-art graphics and sound. You can now play this FPS game anywhere and experience this iconic franchise anytime while on-the-go.
NEW SEASONAL CONTENT UPDATED MONTHLY: CALL OF DUTY®: MOBILE releases new content every season with new game modes, maps, themed events, and rewards. Every season expands on the ongoing story in the CALL OF DUTY® universe by bringing new and exciting unlockable content. Jump in to the battle today!
CUSTOMIZE YOUR UNIQUE LOADOUT: Unlock tons of iconic operators, weapons, outfits, score streaks, and powerful gear that go towards customizing your loadouts — allowing you to play CALL OF DUTY®: MOBILE your way. Take your victory now!
COMPETITIVE AND SOCIAL PLAY: Round up your friends and test your battle skills in the intense competitive ranked mode or sharpen your aim in social play. Join the community and earn powerful rewards for participating in Clan Wars. The fight is more thrilling when it's with other soldiers!
- Genre(s)
- FPS
