The top competitive online games available on mobile devices

The mobile gaming market has seen a lot of change in the last few years. Epic Games stirred things up with its legal spat with Apple, Call of Duty: Mobile reached its two-year anniversary, Riot Games released Wild Rift , the mobile version of their famed, extremely popular MOBA League of Legends, and Electronic Arts is preparing to release the mobile version of Apex Legends.

The fastest-growing gaming category, according to recent market research by Newzoo, the mobile gaming industry accounted for over 50 percent of video game sales revenues worldwide, and generated almost $100 billion in 2021. The market has been so agitated, that specialists project mobile gaming to be worth more than $150 billion by 2027.

As a result, competitive games on mobile devices have experienced a significant surge over the past years, also influenced by the increased popularity of online gaming and esports, which has become a cultural phenomenon all over the world. With hundreds of esports leagues and tournaments, and massive prize pools that often reach the million-dollar count, competitive mobile games have become a staple of the mobile gaming market.

You might not think so, but even the iGaming market has become a pretty competitive scene within the online gaming industry in the past few years, especially with some of the best mobile casinos - which you can find more about at time2play.com - providing players with leaderboards and special casino tournaments that take the action even further.

Whether you have an iOS or an Android mobile device, you may discover a broad variety of fun competitive games with compelling storylines, cool visuals, and plenty of opportunities to develop winning tactics and wreak havoc against your opponents. In this article, we’re taking a brief look at the games that have been shaping the mobile gaming industry in recent years.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile

Since its release in 2018, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Mobile , or PUBG Mobile, has been the most popular competitive mobile game in the world. In addition to enjoying significant success in numerous places across the world, PUBG became the highest-grossing mobile game of all time in August 2020, and it reached $3 billion in sales last year thanks to its flourishing esports scene.

The developer organizes a slew of regional leagues with varying tiers to help talented players in North America, Europe, Asia, and other regions find a route to the pros. It also hosts a Global Championship, which brings together the world's best teams to compete for the ultimate championship and be proclaimed world champions.

Garena Free Fire

One of the most popular first-person shooters for mobile devices today, Garena Free Fire has been attracting more players every year since its release in 2017. The game even won the 2019 Google Play Award for Breakthrough Game of the Year.

With global revenues that reach over $1 billion, Garena Free Fire is also a constant feature at esports leagues and tournaments, and these events are extremely popular on streaming platforms as well, with major events like the Continental Series and the World Series averaging almost two million concurrent viewers on platforms like Twitch.

Call of Duty: Mobile

It was no surprise when Call of Duty: Mobile , the mobile version of perhaps one of the most popular games of all time, was released on iOS and Android devices to tremendous acclaim. The game was the biggest release in the competitive mobile gaming market in 2019, with over 100 million players downloading it within two months of its October debut.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the game’s esports scene is still maturing, as the developer was forced to cancel the grand finals after holding all of the regional finals for its maiden World Championship because it couldn’t guarantee the safety of its participants. Nevertheless, Call of Duty: Mobile reached the impressive mark of 300 million players in 2021.

Clash Royale

Since its release in 2016, Clash Royale has been one of the most popular mobile games in the world. According to Sensor Tower, it made $3 billion in 2020 simply from player purchases in the game, and its World League finals rewarded $100,000 to the victors.

The game can be played competitively against others in teams of two or four, and every time players win, they can rank up and become eligible for additional tournaments and contests. Recently, the game went through a complete makeover, with the new format of Clan Wars completely revamping the clan system, offering more rewards and daily battles.