Fortnite Is Back On iOS Thanks To Microsoft
It was the great tech wars of 2020 that turned brother against brother, as Apple and Epic Games locked horns and decimated the Fortnite battlefield like never before. It feels like it was only yesterday, and well, that's because it pretty much was. Still, almost two years after Fortnite was booted off the App Store, there's no end in sight.
For those who need a refresher, Epic Games took up arms over Apple's 30% cut of in-game transactions. In response, the developer introduced its own currency system to bypass this, and was promptly axed from iOS. Fortnite's mobile port was big business for Epic, so it didn't take long for things to head inside the courtroom. While not quite as ugly as Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, it's been a case for the ages.
Is Fortnite Back On iOS?
We were previously warned it could be five years until we see Fortnite back on iOS, and while the wait continues, some lucky sods can play on their iPhone thanks to a handy workaround from Microsoft. To get back in the game, you'll need a strong internet connection alongside a Microsoft account and iPhone or iPad - it'll also work with Android devices and a Windows PC.
Simply head to the Fortnite Cloud Gaming site and log in. Voila, Fortnite is back on iOS. Better yet, it's completely free like all the standard versions of the battle royale brawler. If that wasn't enough, the port supports both touch and controller controls, meaning it's just a pint-sized version of the game you're used to playing.
Hyping the long-awaited return of Fortnite to iOS, Catherine Gluckstein, Vice President and Head of Product at Xbox Cloud Gaming, said, "Part of our mission to bring the joy and community of gaming to players wherever they are and to make gaming more accessible to people around the world, I'm excited to announce that we've partnered with Epic Games to make Fortnite available on supported browser-enabled devices for free with Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) in 26 countries." Well, we did it!
When Will Fortnite Officially Come Back To iOS?
Playing through a browser is all well and good, while we previously saw GeForce Now able to do the same sort of thing. Still, it's a bit of a faff. We miss the days of being able to simply tap the little Fortnite box and strap on your Battle Bus seatbelt in a matter of moments. This isn't the end though, with Gluckstein claiming that more free-to-play games will be able to play on mobile devices via Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has championed this "monumental moment," and we can imagine he's grinning from ear to ear at Fortnite HQ right now. Apple effectively won the case against Epic, but as the wider world loses interest in this case, Epic is becoming increasingly clever at clawing back its mobile players. Although Fortnite was hit hard in the pocket, this could be a war that's won in tortoise vs the hare style.
