Gameloft’s long-running Gangstar series is returning with a considerably bigger emphasis on multiplayer, as Gangstar Mirage City launches on iOS and Android across the MENA region. The free-to-play open-world action game is available from August 20, including in the UAE, following what Level Infinite and Gameloft say were more than 30 million pre-registrations worldwide.
The regional release also covers Southeast Asia, South Asia, Eastern and Central Europe, and Latin America. Arabic is among nine supported text languages, alongside English, while the game uses English voice acting.
Gangstar Mirage City takes the crime-focused mobile series into a near-future metropolis where players can complete story missions, participate in multiplayer activities, acquire territory and develop businesses. It is a familiar open-world formula, but the new game appears designed around a more persistent collection of systems rather than a straightforward sequence of missions.
That includes a net worth mechanic tied to a player’s growing business empire, with progression unlocking additional equipment, vehicles and perks. Vehicle combat is another major component, mixing shooting and driving with tools that can interfere with nearby cars or improve a vehicle’s ability to survive attacks.
Multiplayer events provide much of the variety. Co-op heists sit alongside modes including Taxi Takeover, Treasure Rush and Fight of the Bites, while Orarra Fight introduces a battle royale-style competition. There is also a Director’s Mode that lets players record custom story videos, reflecting the growing importance of player-created content to live-service games.
Level Infinite and Gameloft are leaning into that aspect from launch with a Creator Program offering incentives including in-game currency, promotional support and access to a shared cash prize pool. A month-long series of creator livestreams, branded All Gangstar Show, is also planned, although specific details for MENA have yet to be announced.
Early adopters have several launch incentives waiting for them. Players who pre-registered before August 19 can claim 300 Diamonds, vehicle upgrade vouchers and a vehicle pack through the Global Vault Heist promotion. Additional rewards are available for qualifying crews and members of winning MENA factions, with eligible items distributed through the in-game mail system.
The scale of the pre-registration figure gives Gangstar Mirage City plenty of potential players at launch, although registrations are not necessarily an indication of how large its active audience will become. Maintaining that audience will be the bigger challenge in a mobile market crowded with established free-to-play games competing for both attention and spending.
Gangstar itself dates back to 2006 and has travelled through fictionalised versions of locations including Los Angeles, Miami, Rio, Las Vegas and New Orleans. Mirage City represents a more modern interpretation of that formula, combining the series’ open-world roots with multiplayer events, social systems and creator-focused features.
Whether that combination gives the franchise a lasting second wind will become clearer after the launch rewards and early curiosity fade. For now, Gangstar Mirage City marks one of Gameloft’s more ambitious attempts to bring its established mobile open-world series into the live-service era.
