Today, it’s impossible to talk about gaming without mentioning Fortnite. The recent game update caused thousands to wait in queue to play it when it went online.
This update brought back OG Fortnite with the maps, buildings, quests, etc., found in Chapter 1. So now, many have been reminiscing about another OG thing.
That is the Fortnite mobile app. Will it become accessible once again?
Fortnite mobile app isn’t available on Apple’s App Store or Android’s Play Store due to a legal dispute between Epic Games, Apple, and Google. Epic was accused of using a loophole to prevent paying the companies 30% of the in-game purchase profits. A version of Fortnite mobile can be accessed on the Epic Games app, GeForce Now, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
What Happened to Fortnite Mobile?
A quick search on Android’s Play Store or Apple’s App Store shows that there isn’t a Fortnite app that allows one to play the latest updates in the game.
Instead, what’s there is a mobile version where players can’t use V-Bucks on it, and since January 30, 2023, it can be accessed only by users above 18.
To make matters worse, you can’t download it from the Play or App Store.
If you want to access this Fortnite mobile app version, you must download the Epic Games app and install it from there. But there are two other ways you can access the game.
If you have GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming, you can access this defunct mobile app and stream Fortnite on Apple and Android mobile devices. In fact, this is the only way you can play Fortnite on an Apple phone.
But first, you will have to sign up for a free Xbox account. To do this:
- Type Xbox.com/play on the search bar of any browser and sign into your Xbox account.
- If you don’t have an account, then create one.
- Then, you will be redirected to the games available and find Fortnite there.
Use the same steps for using GeForce Now services. Head to their site from your phone’s browser and verify your sign-in to play Fortnite from the game library.
The best part is that due to Fortnite’s crossplay services, you can log in to your Epic Games account and then continue from where you left the game.
But why must one work so hard to access the mobile version?
This is because the Fortnite mobile app has been unusable since August 2020 due to legal issues between Apple, Google, and Epic Games.
Epic Games got into this feud with the two mega companies because it used a loophole to prevent paying the companies 30% of all the in-game purchase profits.
That led to a years-long battle. Finally, the legal case has ended, but Fortnite still doesn’t have a mobile app with all the features or most of the features and updates that the console versions get.
This is surprising because, as per the official ruling, Apple and Google are (via Distractify):
“Permanently restrained and enjoined from prohibiting developers from including in their apps and their metadata buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms, in addition to In-App Purchasing and (ii) communicating with customers through points of contact obtained voluntarily from customers through account registration within the app.”
However, this hasn’t convinced Epic Games to return to the App to Play Store. But not making Fortnite available on mobile hasn’t hurt the game or the company. The game is still a worldwide phenomenon.
As such, one has to wonder if it’s even worth it for Epic Games to bring the app back for mobile users again.
Do you think Epic Games will bring back Fortnite mobile in the future?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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