Breaking into the competitive Call of Duty: Mobile scene is no easy feat, but there's a bright future ahead if you know where to start. Chagaboo, one of the top female players in the game, has firsthand experience navigating the challenges of going from a casual player to a pro.
Call of Duty: Mobile (CoD: Mobile) is one of the most fast-paced shooters in the mobile gaming scene. With an extremely competitive esports scene to match, the community is filled to the brim with players all hoping to showcase their talent on the big stage.
But where does someone start if they want to leave behind their “casual player” status and turn pro? That’s a question many ask – and that’s what we’re here to answer. We spoke with a seasoned CoD: Mobile player, Chagaboo, to get her insights into what it takes to excel in the game and how anyone with a phone and a dream can enter the game’s exciting esports space.
Chagaboo began playing CoD: Mobile shortly after its release and quickly rose to prominence. She has competed alongside top female players from North America, such as Aerith and Nicole, as well as elite European players like Brixta and Lidiaiggs. Since her competitive debut in 2022, Chagaboo has gone on to play for several professional teams across North America and Latin America, including Angels – the number one female team in North America. She is currently a member of ONYX.
Perfecting Core Skills and the Importance of Ranked in Training
At the heart of CoD: Mobile are three essential skill sets: mechanical skill, game awareness, and decision-making. Chagaboo explains:
One can master these skill sets by readjusting their basic settings and HUD to whatever fits their needs, putting time into the practice range mode and playing online public matches against others to apply these skills. A few other key qualities every top-tier teammate must possess would be communication, game sense, and mechanical skill.
When asked about the best ways to enhance other key skills like positioning and aiming, Chagaboo highlights Ranked matches as an excellent training ground:
It may seem like it won’t help much, but with time it will demonstrate how much one can actually learn from playing against real players and playing on a variety of maps.
Regularly facing off against skilled opponents forces you to refine your tactics and adapt to different playstyles to meet different situations. This is because, as we all know, CoD: Mobile is an ever-evolving game.
Crafting the Perfect Loadout and Adapting to the Meta
One of the most frequent errors casual players make is disregarding the importance of their gun loadouts and overall game sense. "It’s imperative to take these things into account when playing the game," Chagaboo stresses.
So, what’s the best approach to crafting a good loadout? Experimentation.
I recommend toying around with all the attachments available for the weapon. Just read their pros and cons – this includes ADS mobility, range, damage, control, etc. Once you do that, equip and try the weapon out in the practice range mode or Ranked matches and see whatever fits your playstyle the most.
A poorly built loadout can have consequences on your weapon’s performance during combat, so it’s important to test out different attachments and see what works for you.
With frequent balance updates and weapon nerfs, adapting to the ever-changing meta is a challenge every player faces.
When it comes to adapting to the changes in the meta, I believe you really need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
The best players constantly step out of their comfort zones to perfect their playstyles and stay ahead of the competition.
Developing a Competitive Mindset and Preparing for Esports
Succeeding in CoD: Mobile esports requires more than just technical skill – it demands the right mindset. Competitive players must also be disciplined in their training. Overall, it's something that requires consistent effort over time.
On this topic, Chagaboo states:
I think having a growth mentality is the best one you should have when hoping to compete in CoD: Mobile esports. Even after the losses, you need to have the drive and the dedication to improve and build on yourself. Certain habits or training routines one should adopt to develop these skills would be to simply play countless hours of practice range and Ranked matches. A ton of discipline is required to improve, and putting in the hours can improve overall performance.
There are no overnight successes in competitive gaming, so perseverance and a willingness to learn from failures are key.
What It Takes to Break Into the Competitive Scene
Now that you have an idea of the skills needed to excel in CoD: Mobile, how do you enter into this extremely competitive scene? For Chagaboo, forming a team and participating in tournaments is the best approach if you want to enter the competitive scene.
The best way to break into the scene is to create a team of well-driven players and to participate in events and tournaments that the scene offers, create content, and connect with streamers
CoD: Mobile is largely a team-based game, so strong teamwork is incredibly important. It can’t be stressed enough how good communication can be a game-changer, as it allows your team to better coordinate movements and attacks. It's definitely something you need to always remember.
As much as pure skill is pivotal, getting a top-tier team to notice you requires networking and gaining exposure.
I think it [Getting noticed by a professional team] mainly revolves around the connections you have with players, mechanical skills, game sense, awareness, and communication.
To that end, consistency in performance and engaging with the esports community can make a huge difference. As the world's largest multi-genre mobile esports competition, the Snapdragon Pro Series offers unmatched spotlight moments. In Chagaboo's opinion, "What makes the Snapdragon Pro Series boom is the exposure to the audience, the platforms, the endless content, and the support from viewers. On a personal level, I feel like it gave me more of a drive to try again. The opportunities that have presented themselves after the most recent event led to a lot of exposure for a lot of competitors and organizations."
For those serious about making it in the world of CoD: Mobile esports, the path to success requires dedication, adaptability, and a willingness to learn. Whether you're aiming to simply improve or enter competitive play, training, teamwork, and a strong mentality will set you apart from the rest.
MobileMatters is in partnership with ESL FACEIT Group, the organizers behind the Snapdragon Pro Series.