Mobile Gaming News: Genshin Festival, Epic Store & More

TL;DR: This week, the mobile gaming world is buzzing with news! Big updates are coming to games like Genshin Impact, the Epic Games Store, and Pokémon TCG Pocket. These changes mean you'll get new things to play, more games to choose from, and some important changes to how the games are played. Let's dive into what's happening:

Genshin Impact: Festival Fun and a New Character

Genshin Impact fans, get ready for February 12th! Version 5.4 is launching, bringing lots of new things to do. The main part of this update is the Mikawa Flower Festival in Inazuma. The Raiden Shogun is investigating a strange nightmare there. You can join the fun by playing mini-games like "A Little Fox's Daydream" and "Bunshin Phantasm." If you complete these, you'll earn Festival Stamps. You can use these stamps to get special rewards, like the four-star polearm "Tamayuratei no Ohanashi." These activities are a fun break from the main quests and give you more to do, which makes the game better.

Version 5.4 also adds a new character, Yumemizuki Mizuki. She's a five-star Anemo Catalyst user and a clinical psychologist who is a major shareholder of the Aisa Bathhouse. Her story ties into Natlan and Sumeru. You'll discover more about the world of the game and get a unique way to play. Her Story Quest will reveal more about her personality and background. Mizuki will be available first in the Event Wishes. She'll be alongside Sigewinne, a character many players will want since she's a great option for healing. Later, the Event Wishes will include reruns of Furina and Wriothesley, who are great for support and using Cryo powers. If you don't get Mizuki in the limited events, she'll be added to the Standard Wish Banner after Version 5.5. But, since there's a delay, players will still likely try for her during the event.

Here's what you can expect from the event banners:

• 5-Star Characters: Yumemizuki Mizuki, Sigewinne, Furina, and Wriothesley.
• Rumored 4-Star Characters: Chongyun, Sayu, Gorou, and Mika.

Beyond these event banners, you'll also get a "Travelers' Tales: Anthology Chapter," with stories about beloved characters. There's also a new "Reel AD-Venture" fishing minigame, and easier ways to level up characters.

Epic Games Store Mobile: More Games, More Choice

The Epic Games Store is making big moves on mobile. They want to become a main choice for mobile gaming. The store is adding nearly 20 third-party games to its collection, giving you games beyond just the ones made by Epic. They're also starting their free games program globally on Android and within the EU for iOS. The first free game is Dungeon of the Endless: Apogee, a popular roguelike tower defense game, available until February 20th. Then you'll be able to get Bloons TD 6, a classic tower defense game.

Here’s the full list of third-party games joining the Epic Games Store on mobile:

• iOS and Android: Dungeon of the Endless, Evoland 2, Figment 1, Hidden Folks, Idle Champions, Pilgrims, Out There, Shapez, Samorost 2, Samorost 3, Super Meat Boy Forever, Super Space Club, There is no Game.
• iOS Only: Firestone Idle RPG, Gigapocalypse.
• Android Only: Blade of God X, Mafia City, Office Fight, The Grand Mafia.

Epic is making sure the platform works the same on all devices. You can use the same account on Android and iOS, and the games will update automatically. Epic is also challenging Apple's Core Technology Fee by paying for developers in the free games program for the first year. Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, has stated that this is a long-term commitment.

Pokémon TCG Pocket: Psychic Event and Sinnoh Cards

Pokémon TCG Pocket is starting a new Psychic Mass Outbreak event. This means lots of Psychic-type Pokémon are appearing in the game. You'll have a chance to get more cards using the Wonder Pick feature. Bonus picks will offer common Psychic-types, while rare picks will include stronger cards like Gardevoir and Mewtwo, costing Wonder Stamina. You'll also get the "Mew ex Circles Flair (Battle): Light blue," a new way to customize the look of your cards.

This event is meant to get you hyped for the trading feature (which launched on January 29th) and the Space-Time Smackdown expansion (launching on January 30th). This expansion moves the focus from Generation 1 Pokémon to the Sinnoh region from Generation 4. Over 140 new cards will be added, with Dialga and Palkia as the key cards. To encourage more spending, Pokémon TCG Pocket is partnering with McDonald’s in the US, giving out exclusive cards and in-game rewards in Happy Meals, starting in "late February."

Movie, Testing, and Strategy Changes

Here's what's also happening in mobile gaming:

Vampire Survivors Movie: Will it Work?

A Vampire Survivors movie is in development, and gamers are very curious about it. The game is well known for its addictive gameplay and simple story, and how this works in a movie is raising questions. Although the film could expand the story of Vampire Survivors, there’s also concern that adding a story could hurt the game's original appeal. A unique aspect of Vampire Survivors is that it has no formal story, which allows you to make your own through the game’s mechanics. Introducing a set story could limit the game and may impact how future stories could be told. The movie presents a risk and an opportunity for Vampire Survivors.

Supercell's Project Rise: A New Kind of Game

Supercell recently tested their upcoming action RPG, Project Rise. This game is different from their other games, most of which are focused on strategy. Project Rise is described as a “social action RPG roguelite”. The game used to be called Clash Heroes and has been in development for a while now. This test gave a view of the game, although we still don't know the global release date. Supercell is known for the attention they give to their games, and the recent alpha test is likely being used to refine it. The gaming world is waiting for the launch of Project Rise, as it will show the new direction Supercell is taking.

EA Mobile: Changes to Game Support

Electronic Arts (EA) has announced it will stop supporting eight mobile games. This includes games from the Glu label, which EA bought in 2021. The games being shut down by January 29, 2025 are Blood & Glory Immortals, Contract Killer: Sniper, Dino Hunter: Deadly Shores, Deer Hunter Classic, Eternity Warriors 4, Frontline Commando 2, and Frontline Commando: D-Day. Also, EA Sports UFC Mobile 2 will be shut down on March 13, 2025. EA is shifting its focus to fewer mobile games. This change in direction has also been mentioned in presentations to investors. These closings also come after EA shut down other mobile games, including The Simpsons: Tapped Out and Apex Legends Mobile, confirming a new strategy.

Conclusion

That's it for this week's mobile gaming news. It's clear that the mobile gaming world is always changing, and it’s definitely something worth following. From Genshin Impact’s festival, to Epic’s aggressive moves, and all the other news, keep an eye out for future updates.