As 6G networks emerge, the boundaries between communication infrastructure and applications are rapidly dissolving, giving rise to an integrated, cloud-native ecosystem where services and network functions coexist and evolve together. Central to this transformation is the mobile core, which acts as the “brain” of the network, crucial for enabling intelligent and dynamic service delivery through the use of application programming interfaces (APIs), which facilitate seamless interaction between network functions and external applications. In this article, we explore two key dimensions of next-generation mobile core evolution: i) network-aware service orchestration, where real-time core network insights inform and optimize service lifecycle management (LCM); and ii) context-aware core network orchestration, where information from services and network conditions drive adaptive decisions in the cloud-native 6G core, such as network function scaling and slice reconfiguration. Our contribution is threefold: i) we assess the current state and standardization of service–network interplay, ii) we demonstrate proof-of-concept (PoC) implementations highlighting the practical value of "API-driven" integration, and iii) we outline the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the mobile core in this converged network–service paradigm.

This article has been accepted for publication in IEEE Communications Standards Magazine. This is the author’s version which has not been fully edited and content may change prior to final publication. Citation information: DOI 10.1109/MCOMSTD.2026.3657234