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Fortnite is playable on iOS devices again thanks to Xbox Cloud Gaming

While the Fortnite app itself was banned from iOS, Xbox Cloud Gaming now makes it playable on iOS and Android devices for free.

TJ Denzer

May 5, 2022 10:30 AM

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Xbox Cloud Gaming has added a cool mobile facet to games in the Xbox ecosystem, but one of its latest developments for the service might be circumventing legal rulings and Apple decisions to remove a worldwide favorite game from iOS availability. Recently, Xbox announced that now Fortnite can be played for free through Xbox Cloud Gaming on iOS and Android devices, making the game playable on Apple devices again for the first time since its removal in August 2020.

Xbox announced its new partnership with Epic Games to make Fortnite playable on browser-enabled devices via Xbox Cloud Gaming in a recent Xbox Wire Blog post. While Xbox Cloud Gaming is still in a beta format with limited availability in 26 countries, this new development now allows players to play Fortnite via the cloud based gaming service on iOS and Android devices as long as they have a Microsoft account and either a iOS, iPadOS, Android phone or tablet, or Windows PC with access to internet services.

This would be the first time Fortnite has been legitimately playable on Apple devices since August 2020 when Epic Games pushed Apple to remove the Fortnite Mobile app from its App Store for including in-app purchase methods that circumvented Apple’s payment ecosystem. This was the catalyst that kicked off the legal battle between Apple and Epic Games and it ultimately led to an injunction against Apple, prohibiting the company from punishing developers for including such payment systems in their apps. However, much of the ruling was also in Apple’s favor since Epic Games intentionally goaded the lawsuit, allowing Apple to permanently blacklist Epic Games and Fortnite from Apple platforms.

Given the heated contention between Epic Games and Apple, the recent inclusion of Fortnite on Xbox Cloud Gaming and now once-again playable on iOS devices was not one that Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney missed a chance to jab at Apple over via Twitter.

Monumental news everyone! Fortnite is now available to play FOR FREE streaming to web browsers on iPhone, iPad, and Android via Xbox Cloud. No subscription required, no 30% Apple tax.https://t.co/eHs1Xvh6D2

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 5, 2022

Given everything going on legally between Apple and Epic Games, it will be interesting to see if Apple sees this recent move as an encroachment on its ban of Epic Games and Fortnite on its platforms. It also wouldn’t be the first time Microsoft has openly shared support of Epic Games in the matter. Nonetheless, if you’ve been jonesing to play Fortnite on the go on Apple devices, it’s not possible again for the first time in nearly two years.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.