You Can Finally Play Fortnite On iPhone Again, But There's A Catch

"Fortnite" is one of the biggest video games in the world. It's so big that it has weaseled its way into almost every corner of pop culture, with even a feature-length film reportedly in the works. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to the game. Specifically, iPhone users have been without "Fortnite" for almost two years following Apple's decision to kick the game off the App Store. Apple's controversial decision was made in retaliation to Epic Games allegedly bypassing the App Store's royalties by using an in-game store. Since then, Epic Games has filed a lawsuit against Apple regarding its "oppressive 30% tax on the sale of every app," according to court documents. Epic Games accompanied the lawsuit with a parody cinematic titled "Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite" that urges gamers to take a stand against Apple's controversial business practices.

So, it's safe to say Epic Games' "Fortnite" won't be invited back on the App Store anytime soon. However, recently a new way to play "Fortnite" on iOS was launched, and it's making waves in the gaming community because it's a clever way to get around the App Store ban.

On May 5th, Xbox shared the news that "Fortnite" is now playable via Xbox Cloud Gaming on iOS for iPhones and iPad, Android Phones and tablets, and Windows PC. According to Xbox, this is an official collaboration with Epic Games with the goal of making "Fortnite" available on as many devices as possible. But, the game won't be available to download directly. Instead, "Fortnite" will be making use of Xbox Cloud Gaming, which is currently in beta and available in 26 countries. Cloud gaming is unique as it doesn't use a device's hardware to run a game, but instead, it streams the games via the internet. This allows gamers to play newer, more technologically taxing games on weaker non-gaming devices. Xbox Cloud Gaming already gave gamers the ability to play popular Microsoft titles such as "Sea of Thieves," "Halo: The Master Chief Collection," and even Xbox exclusive games via the cloud. Although, access to these games requires an active Xbox Game Pass subscription. 

But, because "Fortnite" is a free-to-play game, gamers won't need an Xbox Game Pass subscription to play. According to the article, all players need to do is head over to Xbox.com/play and sign in with a Microsoft Account to get started. Additionally, the report had more good news for free-to-play game fans. Xbox wrote that it "will look to bring more Free-to-Play games people love in the future." So there's a chance games like "Apex Legends" or "Destiny 2" may end up playable via the Xbox Cloud — although nothing has been confirmed just yet.