Call of Duty Mobile includes a battle royale island packed with classic locations

Announced back in March, Call of Duty Mobile offers a standard suite of multiplayer modes, as well as a battle royale island. In either mode, the game has a familiar feel.

Multiplayer offers a collection of modified maps taken from Black Ops and Modern Warfare games of the past including Countdown, Nuketown, Standoff and Killhouse.

The maps are a mite smaller than their full-screen counterparts of yore, but there’s no mistaking their origins. Game modes including Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy and Free For All.

Likewise, in battle royale mode, the map is a mini-collection of the same locations as well as some new ones. Players can drop in solo, duo or quad, with options of revive teammates in trouble. Voice, text and ping systems are also available.

First announced in March, Call of Duty Mobile is a free-to-play game that will be rolling out on Android and iOS devices in the months ahead. I played a few sessions earlier today, and found it to be a competently executed touch-screen shooter that makes full use of iconic Call of Duty touches, such as kill streak bonuses, clans, special bonus challenges and complex load-outs.

The game’s monetization has not been finalized, but I’m told by publisher Activision that it will be standard free-to-play stuff, such as purchasing skins and skipping the longer gameplay route to upgrades. Players are tasked with upgrading themselves and their weapons and earning character unlocks.

Activision says it’s still figuring out ways to connect gameplay and achievements between the mobile and full-screen games, like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which is out on Nov. 5.

One neat touch, at least for touch-screen beginners, is an auto-fire mode. If I aim at an enemy, my gun automatically starts firing. However, more experienced players will prefer the on-screen fire button, which allows for quicker reactions.

Activision has yet to announce a roll-out plan, though it’s likely the game will be available for test in some countries in the months ahead. A test recently took place in India. We’ll have more info as it’s released.