The Hidden Risks of Call of Duty Mobile: Protecting Young Gamers

In the dynamic world of mobile gaming, Call of Duty Mobile (CODM) has captured the attention of many, including children and young adults. Beyond the captivating battles, there are potential dangers that parents may not be fully aware of. This blog post aims to unveil the specific risks associated with playing Call of Duty Mobile, focusing on elements that can impact the well-being of our younger generation. And the most recent controversy where accounts are being deleted and Activision pretending its not happening.

One alarming aspect of CODM is the inclusion of mini-draws and casino-style games within the game. These features may expose young players to gambling-like behaviors, raising concerns about the appropriateness of such content for a younger audience.

The most recent of the “Mini Games”(Gambling for kids) is where a player can earn points in game that can be used to spin a slot machine and win in game prizes the thing is that you can pay to play too, and increase your changes of getting lucky and getting a better prize its gambling and no one is saying or doing anything about it.

Probably because google is also profiting from the buying of in game currency that is used on these gambling mini games

The allure of in-game purchases in CODM can lead to unsuspecting financial pitfalls. Players, often young and unaware, may find themselves spending significant amounts on virtual items, with the risk of losing their investments due to unforeseen circumstances.

And the way the game entices the players every few minutes (In game ads) that would make YouTube look like child’s play to purchase or partake in lucky draws that’s also basically gambling as you can pay to play and maybe win the prize that you want.

Then there is the one click pay feature that a lot of the time popes up at the precise time that a user needs to take a specific action that ends up in un intended purchases, it happens so often that its either a gross oversight on the programmers part or its programmed intentional into the game to make max profit on the backs of children.

The security of CODM accounts is a prevalent concern. Instances of accounts being stolen or locked out without recourse have been reported. This not only jeopardizes the invested time and effort but can also have financial implications if in-game purchases are tied to the account.

As some players we spoke to on condition of anonymity reported that their accounts where being deleted and some have spend thousands of dollars in, in-app purchases and when they reported the problem to google after Activision flat out ignored (And still is ignoring) the problem when its reported to them this is evident when one looks at their recent google play store one star reviews.

Difficulty Obtaining Refunds:

Obtaining refunds for in-game purchases on CODM can be a frustrating endeavor. Reports suggest that players facing issues are met with resistance, making it challenging to recover money spent on virtual items, even in cases of unauthorized transactions or account compromises.

So if google wont give you a refund and Activision wont even admit there is a problem what change does a kid have in convincing their parents that they did not make the purchases that gets forced on the players or that they did not lose or sell their account in the event that Activision just decides one day to delete their account, this might sound strange to older generations but some kids today would rather have virtual presents like nice in game items  that real world Christmas gifts.

But when a game developer cant insure your kids presents are safe why would you support them in the first place rather skip the CODM Battle Pass this year as a present and save a lot more tears of your children down the line, as it looks there is no way to even take any recourse when (not if) their accounts gets deleted.

Suppression of User Dissent:

Expressing dissatisfaction with CODM through negative reviews can lead to severe consequences. Some users claim that leaving critical feedback results in account deletions, raising questions about the gaming community’s transparency and accountability.

This has happened to one of our in house blogger when this person tried to get a deleted account back and discovered that this is happening a lot and that they are just flat out ignoring the users of the game.

While the excitement of playing CODM on mobile devices is undeniable, it’s crucial for parents to understand the potential risks involved. From the inclusion of gambling-like features to the financial pitfalls and account security challenges unique to CODM, awareness is key.

As responsible consumers, it’s important to address these issues by reporting concerns to both Google (for app-related issues) and Activision (the developer of CODM). By sharing experiences and standing up against these risks, we can contribute to a safer and more accountable gaming environment for our younger players.