Activision claims that the mobile version of Call of Duty Warzone did not live up to expectations

After just over a year since its March 21, 2024 launch, Activision is officially pulling Warzone Mobile from the App Store and Google Play on Sunday, May 18, 2025. The game, designed to bring the classic Warzone battle royale experience to smartphones, unfortunately didn’t resonate enough with mobile-first players despite the franchise’s massive success on PC and consoles.

Key points:

• Players who have the game installed before May 19 can still play it.

• Core features like shared inventories and cross-progression with PC/console versions will remain active.

• Online matchmaking will still work, so you can keep jumping into battles with friends on other platforms.

But there are big limitations:

• No more new seasonal content or gameplay updates.

• Cross-platform social features will be turned off.

• Real money purchases and COD Points will be disabled—no refunds for past purchases or unused points.

Activision explained the move came after careful thought, admitting the game didn’t meet the expectations of mobile players in the same way it did on other platforms. This shutdown also signals a strategic rethink on Activision’s mobile gaming plans, despite their initial ambitions fueled by Microsoft’s acquisition of the company.

Why this matters:

Warzone Mobile’s shutdown underlines how challenging it is to translate huge console/PC hits into successful mobile experiences. Even with cross-progression and shared inventories meant to unify players across devices, that wasn’t enough to keep the mobile audience engaged. While the servers remain live for existing users, the game’s journey on mobile is essentially over, and Activision is likely to revisit how it approaches mobile games moving forward.

If you’ve been playing Warzone Mobile, enjoy what’s left of it—but prepare for this chapter to close soon.