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PocketGamer.biz's 21 most anticipated mobile games of 2020

A look ahead at the games we're excited to play

PocketGamer.biz's 21 most anticipated mobile games of 2020

It's hard - some would say impossible - to be a games journalist if you don't like games. And while it's true that we don't share our opinions on the latest and greatest titles too often, it's not because we're not thinking about them.

Indeed, when we add a new game to our Soft Launch list, or even if a developer simply teases an announcement, you can be sure that we're chatting about it in our virtual office, wondering what this new title might hold for the future.

So with a new year looming, it's a perfect time to stop looking back on what has been, and start looking forward to what games are on the horizon.

There's plenty to choose from, but we decided to keep the list as short as we possibly could so as not to overwhelm ourselves with excitement. There's still plenty in here - 21 games, in fact, which should be more than enough for an entire year of gaming.

If you're wondering what to get excited about in the new year, or you're simply curious as to what's got us so hyped, then read on. And let's hope at least some of these actually come out in the next 12 months...


Click here to view the list »
  • 1 Apex Legends Mobile

    Apex Legends Mobile logo

    Developer: Respawn Entertainment

    Respawn's battle royale behemoth stealth dropped at the beginning of 2019, going on to surpass 25 million players in its first week alone. The Titanfall spin-off sees players team up in groups of three to take down enemy squads and become the last Legend standing.

    During a call to discuss Electronic Art's Q4 financial results, the publisher told investors that the company was in "advanced negotiations" to bring the title to smartphones in China.

    Apex Legends has built up a large community in less than a year of launching on console and PC, thanks to its fast shooter gameplay, colourful characters and quick turnaround of matches.

    Combined with the fact that Respawn looks to be one of the strongest assets in EA's lineup and the studio could be onto another winner.


  • 2 Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls

    Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls logo

    Developer: Konami

    How does one take Castlevania, a series that became so well-known for a specific style of gameplay that it helped spawn an entire genre, and put it on mobile? Simple: just make it like the old games.

    Rather than try anything new, Konami is returning to its roots with a 2D exploration and combat with iconic characters from the series.

    Alucard and Simon Belmont both make an appearance and have vastly different playstyles, so you'll need to master both if you hope to see all the secrets of the game.

    There's even a multiplayer mode which, sure, OK. Beyond that, we don't really know what's going on here - but we can't wait to find out.


  • 3 Devil May Cry: Pinnacle of Combat

    Devil May Cry: Pinnacle of Combat logo

    Developer: Yunchang Games/Capcom

    In development since 2017, Devil May Cry: Pinnacle of Combat is a mobile action RPG spinoff of the mainline series, with poster boy Dante returning as the protagonist. Alongside this, the game will feature classic characters, weapons and bosses featured throughout the 18-year old series.

    Though not officially confirmed, the trailer suggests that touch controls will be the main option for combat. Excitement for Pinnacle of Combat is clear, with over 500,000 people already pre-registering for the game.

    No details of a Western release have been announced at this time but a limited trial is expected to be made available for players in China in 2020 with a full launch not too far afterwards.


  • 4 Diablo Immortal

    Diablo Immortal logo

    Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

    After receiving more than a frosty reception during its debut at Blizzcon 2018, Diablo Immortal will bring the popular action RPG hack and slash series to mobile for the first time.
    Set between the events of Diablo II and Diablo III, the story sees malevolent forces searching for the remains of the Worldstone after the destruction of Mount Arreat and Baal invasion.

    Originally expected sometime in 2019, Diablo Immortal has still to be given an official release date but further details were revealed in November, with six playable classes confirmed: Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Monk, Necromancer, and Wizard.

    Though Western audiences still seem opposed to the idea of Diablo on mobile, a report was published last year stating that the game has been designed with the China audiences in mind. If done correctly, China has proven time and time again that it can make or break a game.


  • 5 Disney Getaway Blast

    Disney Getaway Blast logo

    Developer: Gameloft

    Disney is all about escaping reality - just look at one of their park hotels on YouTube and you'll see exactly what I mean.

    So Gameloft's take, Disney Getaway Blast, seems perfectly fitting. It's just you, a bunch of adorable Disney characters, and a remote island to play match-3 puzzles on.

    You'll be connecting coloured blocks together to clear levels and using special boosters and items to help you through trickier stages.

    And all the while you'll be amassing a crowd of Disney characters to play with, all redesigned in a chibi-esque style that gives the whole thing a pretty unique look.


  • 6 Disney Sorcerer's Arena

    Disney Sorcerer's Arena logo

    Developer: Glu Mobile

    Disney has partnered with Glu Mobile for a real-time strategy title known as Disney Sorcerer's Arena. Players assemble their roster of characters by collecting cards before unlocking different worlds best off the properties.

    Featuring the likes of Mickey Mouse, Ariel from The Little Mermaid and Sully from Monsters, Inc. each fighter arrives with their own set of special abilities to be unleashed upon opponents. The game is expected to release as a beta in limited territories soon.

    Disney has proven they can dominate any market and there are very few other firms that can claim the same wealth of IP in their disposal. Californian-developer Glu also understands the mobile market well, with Kim Kardashian: Hollywood being its biggest hit.


  • 7 DOTA Underlords

    DOTA Underlords logo

    Developer: Valve

    DOTA Underlords is an auto-battler, which is a strategic multiplayer take on chess and marks Valve's first foray onto mobile. The game builds off the back of Drodo’s DOTA mod of the same name.

    It features crossplay across mobile and PC with tournaments, offline play and a seasonal rotation that introduces new elements every few months. The game entered public beta in June 2019 before going on to accumulate 1.5 million mobile downloads in seven days.

    Valve's popularity has continued to grow - even with the lack of releases in recent years. More so, DOTA growth has continued to accelerate with the game being one of the most successful on Steam. At its peak, the title achieved 844,000 concurrent players in a single hour in 2018, according to Statista.


  • 8 EVE Echoes

    EVE Echoes logo

    Developer: NetEase

    EVE Echoes was announced back in June 2018 under the name Project Galaxy, with a planned 2019 release date. Jump forward to October of the same year and it finally got its real name. Jump forward to now and, well, we still don't have it.

    But it's coming! The game is now in open beta on Android and iOS, so anyone who simply can't wait for the full release can dive in now and give it a go.

    So what exactly is it? Well, true to the original EVE formula, you'll be flying around the galaxy in your very own spaceship, trading supplies and getting into fights with other players, only this time you're playing on a smaller screen.

    To fit such an enormous universe on mobile is an impressive feat by anyone's measure, so we're excited to see if NetEase can turn this niche PC game into a multi-million dollar money-spinner with a wider audience.


  • 9 Forza Street

    Forza Street logo

    Developer: Turn 10 Studios

    Forza Street takes a different approach from the Horizon and Motorsport series by introducing quick street races. Players control the vehicles via acceleration and brake only with steering being automatic. Boosts such as nitro can be acquired to increase speed

    Forza Street originally launched under the banner of Miami Street in May 2018 before the game was rebranded in April 2015 and the monetisation was changed to the free-to-play model. Forza is currently riding high after Forza Horizon 4 became the fastest-selling game in the series to date.

    A mobile version was announced to arrive at a "later date" with rumours of a Nintendo Switch edition being made available too.


  • 10 Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

    Harry Potter: Magic Awakened logo

    Developer: NetEase

    Harry Potter hasn't had the best run on mobile yet. With Wizards Unite already in sharp decline and Hogwarts Mystery immediately upsetting the wider press with hardcore free-to-play monetisation, there's not much you can point to as being a "definitive" magical experience just yet.

    That could all change, however, when NetEase's take of the young wizard's story finds its way to mobile. The Chinese publisher is creating a card-based RPG set after the second wizarding war, with players getting their own letter to Hogwarts to begin their magical journey.

    Whether this adventure is for everyone in the world, however, is another question entirely. So far, NetEase has only opened pre-registration for players in China, and there's no word on a wider release yet.

    Still, with Harry Potter continuing to delight fans with numerous spin-off movies, it's surely only a matter of time before we in the West get our hands on Magic Awakened. And hey, third time's the charm, right?


  • 11 League of Legends: Wild Rift

    League of Legends: Wild Rift logo

    Developer: Riot Games

    With a reported 20 million players per day, League of Legends is certainly in a league of its own.

    The upcoming MOBA's mobile outing - League of Legends: Wilf Rift - will take heavy inspiration from its PC counterpart but will shorten the experience for small bursts on the move, however will be a new experience and not a port.

    Acting as a Summoner, players must control their Champion to battle against others and destroy the opponent's Nexus, which is located at the heart of the enemies defences. The announcement for the title was made during the game's 10-year anniversary livestream. After years of rumours and Riot's being adamant that the series would never make its way to the mobile platform, it will be interesting to see if the core base of players will transition across.


  • 12 LEGO Star Wars Battles

    LEGO Star Wars Battles logo

    Developer: Playdemic

    LEGO Star Wars is basically a beast of its own at this point - the first game on consoles came out 14 years ago, and has seen numerous sequels and reimaginings since.

    A mobile game was inevitable, really, once TT Games added Playdemic to its roster. And LEGO Star Wars Battles, a real-time strategy, Clash Royale-esque take on the franchise is what we're getting.

    You'll be collecting all your favourite heroes, villains, and robots to fight with across two lanes of battle, drawing from a collection of cards and dropping them into the battlefield at the opportune moment.

    And because it's LEGO, you'll also need to build towers and defences to help keep the enemies at bay, all on recogniseable planets and locations from the films.

  • 13 Marvel Realm of Champions

    Marvel Realm of Champions logo

    Developer: Kabam

    Marvel Contest of Champions has proven to be a wildly successful mobile brawler for the muti-billion dollar franchise, so it was only a matter of time before a sequel was released.

    Enter Marvel Realm of Champions, which looks as though it'll take a new direction into RPG territory, with players creating their own hero before joining the battlefield alongside series favourites like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and more.

    Beyond that, we really don't have much information about the game. Yet it seems like a relatively safe bet that Kabam won't stray too far from the winning formula of the original game, so don't expect the brawling combat of Contest of Champions to completely disappear.

    Until we hear more, we do have a rather flashy trailer to watch over and over again, and why not? It's a mighty fine looking thing.


  • 14 Marvel Super War

    Marvel Super War logo

    Developer: NetEase

    If you think over all the Marvel games there have been on mobile, you'll find pretty much every genre out there covered by numerous developers. What could possibly be left for those wacky superheroes?

    Well, it turns out there's still the world of MOBAs to go, and it's kind of surprising it hasn't been done already. But that's where NetEase is stepping in with Marvel Super War.

    Already in Soft Launch in Southeast Asia, the game relies largely on teamwork, with players able to string together combo attacks with their teammates to truly devastate their opponents.

    Other than that, expect the usual MOBA fare - lanes, towers, ganking, teamfights, and all that other jargon. Only this time you'll recognise fighters from the big screen and beyond.


  • 15 Minecraft Earth

    Minecraft Earth logo

    Developer: Mojang

    OK, sure, so you could argue that basically anyone with a half-decent phone can play Minecraft Earth right this second. But Mojang still says the game is in Early Access, and frankly, until it's version 1.0, we're still not going to consider it fully available.

    But what a game it is shaping up to be. Taking the Minecraft formula and putting an AR spin on proceedings, Minecraft Earth has you building objects in the world around you, all through your phone screen.

    You'll still need to gather resources with pickaxes and whatnot, but then you can make your creations in the real world, with other people able to watch your building grow through shared AR experiences.

    As we said, you can go try it out for yourself right now if you haven't, but there's still plenty more to come for Mojang's mobile outing, and we can't wait to see what a full release looks like in 2020.


  • 16 Pokemon Sleep

    Pokemon Sleep logo

    Developer: The Pokemon Company

    Unexpectedly announced as a joint collaboration between The Pokemon Company, Niantic and Select Button during a press conference in Tokyo, Pokemon Sleep looks to "turn sleep into entertainment."

    Through the use of the Pokemon Go Plus+ device's accelerometer, Pokemon Sleep will track the number of hours of rest players obtain before communicating that information to user's mobiles (via Bluetooth) and providing some sort of the gameplay.

    Not much has been shared about this upcoming title but with Niantic working its magic with Pokemon Go has - surpassing $3 billion in revenue - and after the disappointing start for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, can lightning strike twice for the Pokemon partnership?


  • 17 Star Wars: Rise to Power

    Star Wars: Rise to Power logo

    Developer: EA Mobile

    You simply cannot escape the behemoth that is Star Wars. With the main Skywalker Saga ending this year, we now have to wait to see what Disney has planned for the franchise next - and until then, we can get excited for numerous upcoming mobile games.

    Star Wars: Rise to Power is one such upcoming title, here taking the form of a real-time strategy game. You'll choose whether to side with the New Republic or the Empire, helping either side dominate the galaxy with overwhelming force in huge battles.

    There's the mobile RTS classic base-building mode, huge battles with players across the world, and the ability to form Alliances with other players to bolster your might.

    Sure, it all sounds a bit Clash of Clans, but with the might of Star Wars behind it and all the cool sci-fi nonsense that this entails, it's hard not to get a little bit excited for the full game.

  • 18 Super Meat Boy Forever

    Super Meat Boy Forever logo

    Developer: Team Meat

    Originally designed as a mobile-only version, Team Meat will follow up to its indie-darling over a decade later with Super Meat Boy Forever.

    Expanding on its predecessor's challenging gameplay style, the sequel will see Dr. Fetus return only to kidnap Meat Boy and Bandage Girl's new child nugget, with the duo needing to work together to rescue their daughter.

    Controls have been designed around two-button input hopefully helping its transition to the mobile platform even smoother. Though not described as an endless runner, levels are randomly generated depending on player skill and will vary accordingly as users progress.

    The original Super Meat Boy won numerous awards and was placed on many 'Best Of' lists for the decade. With high expectations set, Meat Boy is due to launch on PC and console but a 10 years later could do its biggest damage on mobile.


  • 19 Tetris Royale

    Tetris Royale logo

    Developer: N3twork

    Tetris... battle royale? Yes, it's already been done on Switch with Nintendo's own Tetris 99, but now N3twork is getting in on the action - and adding in another player to round games up to a nice Tetris 100.

    It's classic Tetris gameplay - blocks fall from the ceiling, you need to spin them and move them to fill up lines at the bottom of the screen to score big points and stop your stack from overflowing.

    Except now there's 99 other people doing the same thing at the same time, and if they clear a line, you get it dumped on your stack. And then you lose, because everyone's better than you. Or is that just me?

    Regardless, a mobile take on this weird battle royale is hugely welcome, and it's always nice to see the king of handheld games get taken out for another outing.

  • 20 Untitled Zynga Star Wars/Harry Potter games

    Untitled Zynga Star Wars/Harry Potter games logo

    Developer: Zynga

    Proving that you simply cannot escape Star Wars, even Zynga has its own game in the works for the franchise at NaturalMotion. But, uh, that's all we know so far.

    The same can be said for its upcoming Harry Potter game. We know that the former is an action game and the latter a match-3, but beyond that, we've got nothing to go on.

    It's enough to be excited about, however. NaturalMotion has proved it can make utterly beautiful games through its work on CSR2, and Zynga's work in the casual space is unavoidable - a reboot of Farmville also happens to be in the works.

    2020 will no doubt bring more news for all these games and more from the mobile giant, but until then we can close our eyes and speculate - after all, what genre hasn't Star Wars already taken on that NaturalMotion can do next? (Please be pod racing.)