Epic Games and Microsoft are teaming up to bring Fortnite back to iOS devices thanks to a new Xbox Cloud Gaming partnership that will allow players to stream the battle-royale goliath via the cloud on most devices. Fortnite is now available to play via Xbox Cloud Gaming on PC, Android, iOS, and iPad OS for free without the need for an install or Xbox Live Gold subscription.
This is likely to sting a little bit for Apple, having recently removed Fortnite from its devices over a messy lawsuit that came about due to Epic Games trying to circumvent Apple's mandatory 30 percent cut on in-game transactions. Thanks to Epic's partnership with Microsoft, Fortnite is now back on iOS via a supported web browser since Xbox Cloud Gaming is blocked, and Apple won't see a penny of the revenue generated from any transactions that take place in the game.
As you might expect, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is delighted to have Fortnite back on Apple devices without having to pay the company a single dime, announcing the news on Twitter himself while also taking a couple of jabs at Apple's business practices. It's unlikely Apple will be able to do anything legally since Fortnite is playable via a supported web browser rather than a download from an actual storefront, so it's looking like the company is going to have to take an L on this one.
In other Fortnite-related news, two new characters will be coming to the game very soon, one of which was shared purposefully and one of which was not. Obi-Wan Kenobi's arrival was teased very briefly in a trailer uploaded yesterday, showing off the recently added lightsabers to celebrate Star Wars day. However, it was also discovered in the game's creative item documents that Scarlet Witch is also coming, although it's unknown whether this character will be modeled on Elizabeth Olsen's portrayal of the character in the MCU.