Xbox mobile store still planned, ongoing Epic v. Google lawsuit pauses rollout

The Xbox mobile store could still happen at some point as new gaming CEO Asha Sharma implies that the rollout is being stymied by ongoing litigation.

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Mobile gaming was a big reason why Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard King. All three segments delivered their own distinct billion-dollar mobile games with COD Mobile, Diablo Immortal, and Candy Crush. At one point, ABK made more from mobile than PC and console combined. So...where is the so-called Universal Store with its unified mobile-console-PC offering that was discussed years ago? Microsoft is still ironing out the details for a fully-fledged store of this nature, and while recent evidence pointed to the strategy being scrapped, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma clarifies that the mobile store hasn't been buried.

"Three weeks ago, we filed an amicus because mobile competition still matters and we believe the future of play should be more open. While I am still learning, the idea of an Xbox mobile store is not dead," the new Xbox CEO said on Twitter.

The Verge has shared the document that Sharma is referring to, wherein Microsoft argues that the current court injunction that opens up the Google Play Store should stand as it is and not be modified.

Essentially, the company won't introduce its Xbox mobile store offering until the legal runway is clear.

Microsoft had planned to launch a 'mobile store experience' in July 2024, but that never coalesced, and the idea was going to be a web storefront anyway.

Then months later it was revealed that a mobile store would be integrated into the Xbox mobile app. This was to be a place where gamers could buy in-game currency, premium mobile games, and other content directly from the Xbox app itself.

"The court's ruling to open up Google's mobile store in the US will allow more choice and flexibility. Our mission is to allow more players to play on more devices so we are thrilled to share that starting in November, players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox App on Android," former Xbox president Sarah Bond said at the time.

The new Xbox CEO has inherited the mantle at a rare inflection point at Xbox that sees all previous efforts from Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond coming to some sort of conclusion, if not representing yet another new beginning for untested technologies and business models.

Outside of games like Minecraft, Microsoft still doesn't know how to handle mobile gaming--hence the ABK purchase--and it's willing to work closely with partners like Take-Two Interactive and Supercell to try to navigate the changing landscape.