Warcraft Arclight Rumble announced for iOS and Android

Blizzard has announced its latest foray into the world of iOS and Android games through its first explicitly Warcraft branded mobile game, Warcraft Arclight Rumble.

Warcraft Arclight Rumble is billed as a free-to-play action strategy game and notably gives the franchise a new visual style for a tabletop miniature-inspired spin on the decades-old brand. Players can collect in-game minis of familiar Warcraft characters that can be used across either single player or PVP battles.

While the game itself seems to be a bit of a thematic departure from what Warcraft fans may expect, bringing established franchises to iOS and Android in a very mobile-friendly way can be one avenue for companies like Blizzard to introduce those legacy brands to an entirely new audience. 

Blizzard's mobile releases tend to also include a PC element, making Arclight Rumble somewhat unique for the company. Diablo Immortal, for example, was first announced as a made-for-mobile title but has just recently been announced for PC as well. Meanwhile, Blizzard's Warcraft-flavored card battler Hearthstone debuted on PC before coming to mobile months later.

Warcraft Arclight Rumble is expected to launch later this year, though players are already able to pre-register for the free-to-play game on Android or opt for a chance at checking out a beta build via Battle.net.