Epic Games and Apple have been involved in a lengthy and complicated legal battle which started to make headlines in August 2020 regarding payment options for the iOS version of Fortnite that resulted in Epic Games attempting to bypass that system – which took 30% – and implement their own with the intention of retaining more funds for themselves and thus paying Apple significantly less. Those actions ultimately did not sit well with Apple whom subsequently banned Fortnite from the App Store entirely and forced Epic Games to file the original lawsuit. The popular Battle Royale game and its community of dedicated players have been stuck in Chapter 2 – Season 3 since August 13th, 2020 – unable to receive any updates, partake in concerts and live events, or enjoy the ever expanding storyline.
Despite Epic Games losing out on the ruling – delivered on September 10th, 2021 – players once again have the opportunity to play Fortnite on their favourite iOS devices with the assistance of Microsoft and their Xbox Cloud Gaming service; no paid subscription required. In order to get started, players simply need a Microsoft account, a high-speed Internet connection, and compatible device with portal access available through the official Xbox Cloud Gaming website. Players can choose to access their content from three supported web browsers (Safari, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge) whilst utilizing either the provided mobile touch controls or with a supported controller. A complete list of eligible devices and hardware can be found on the Fortnite website and through Xbox support respectively.
Regarding the partnership, Catherine Gluckstein, Vice President and Head of Product, Xbox Cloud Gaming stated that “it’s an important step to add a Free-to-Play title to the cloud gaming catalog as we continue our cloud journey. We’re starting with Fortnite and will look to bring more Free-to-Play games people love in the future. At Xbox, we want to make gaming accessible to the 3 billion players around the world, and cloud has an important role in that mission.” Gluckstein concludes her announcement by saying “whether you want to play with native touch controls or a supported controller, it’s [very] easy to jump into Fortnite with Xbox Cloud Gaming.” Players can enjoy playing through their favourite game modes including Battle Royale, Zero Build, Impostors, Creative, and Save the World; the latter of which is currently unavailable to play on smartphone and tablet devices at this point in time.
Fortnite is available now on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One X, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, Windows PC, and Android devices – iOS compatibility is available through GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming.