Fortnite is coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming, and with its introduction, Epic’s world-beating battle royale game finds its way back onto iOS platforms at last.
Fortnite was famously dumped from the iOS App Store in 2019 after Epic attempted to circumvent Apple’s tithe on in-app purchases. Its removal led to a months-long court case (and some truly embarrassing propaganda), and though Epic won the battle, Apple ultimately won the war: Fortnite did not return to iOS devices.
Fortnite has found its way back a couple of times before, most recently via GeForce Now, but its addition to Xbox Cloud Gaming is a different thing entirely. All players need to access Fortnite on their iOS device is an internet connection and a web browser. A wireless Xbox controller might also help, though the game should work with touch controls.
Players will not need a Game Pass Ultimate subscription to play Fortnite via the cloud. The reason for this is that it is a free-to-play game. Locking it behind a subscription wouldn’t do Xbox any good.
Cloud gaming has become a significant part of Xbox’s strategy for delivering games to its customers. The advent of Game Pass changed how Xbox saw its route to market. Rather than leaning on exclusives like its rival PlayStation, Xbox just wants you in its ecosystem, regardless of platform. With Fortnite on the Cloud Gaming platform, players will be able to take advantage of its cross-platform utility to squad up with friends using other systems. They will still be considered part of the Xbox player pool, so, again, a controller is advised.
It remains to be seen how Apple will respond to this turn of events. Xbox has kicked a hornet’s nest here and, we suspect, is very aware of it. Put the popcorn on, this is gonna be fun.
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