Elsewhere in gaming-on-the-go: 'Sonic at the Olympic Games' set to compete on mobile; 'Witcher' card game 'Gwent' gets release date; and Apple Arcade keeps rolling out titles.
Mobile Games Hotspot is a curated weekly roundup of the top stories in gaming on-the-go.
The Kingdom Hearts series is getting another mobile release in the form of Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road, although it won't be released as a stand-alone game. Instead, Dark Road will be featured within 2015's Kingdom Hearts Union χ, the first mobile game in the series.
Dark Road will follow Young Xehanort before he becomes a villain in the rest of the series. Details are scarce, but images released alongside the announcement show that Eraqus will also be featured and will fight alongside you in battle. The battles themselves are described as fast-paced with cards featuring classic Kingdom Hearts characters and items to be collected and used in the fight.
Originally known as Project Xehanort, the official title was revealed last month, but it was not yet clear until this week's announcement that the game would be added on to the existing Kingdom Hearts Union χ app. Because of the original app's gacha-heavy mechanics (capsule toy vending machines), the announcement garnered a negative reception among fans who were looking forward to something completely new. An exact release date has not been revealed, but fans can expect a general spring release on iOS and Android.
Here's what else is happening in the world of mobile games:
Angry Birds Hits the Court
A very different spinoff of the Angry Birds series sees the colorful avians grab their rackets and hit the tennis court. Angry Birds Tennis quietly released on iOS this past week as a free-to-play game, but only in the U.S. and Mexico. Different game modes and unlockable characters are mentioned in the title's description, but the more impressive feature is the ability to play against friends in the game's multiplayer modes. At this time, there is no official global release date.
Sonic at the Olympic Games Will Compete on Mobile
A Sonic-only version of Nintendo Switch title Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is headed to mobile. With the removal of the Mario-themed elements and characters, Sonic at the Olympic Games features 16 Sonic-based playable characters across 15 different events including Archery, Hammer Throw, 100m Hurdles and more. Six mini-games are also included and a global ranking system allows you to post your scores on online leaderboards. A release is set for May 7 on iOS and Android.
GWENT Arrives to Android in March
After a year since the initial mobile announcement, CD Projekt Red finally announced a released date of March 24 for Gwent: The Witcher Card Game on Android. The card-based game set in the world of The Witcher was originally playable within The Witcher 3 when it released in 2015. After getting a stand-alone release in 2018, a mobile version was announced and the game made its way to iOS on Oct. 29 of last year. Although specifics on file size and device compatibility have not yet been released, those that pre-register will get a unique avatar at launch.
Apple Arcade Keeps Chugging Along
Although the number of games added to Apple's subscription-based service has certainly died down, the weekly releases continue to go strong. Since our last update on the service last month, four new games were added. They include the food-based survival game Butter Royale, the multiplayer spy guiding Secret Oops!, the top-down and simplistic Charrua Soccer and the task-managing Loud House: Outta Control, based on the Nickelodeon show of the same name.
