AppleInsider Staff
"Fortnite Battle Royale," a 100-player multiplayer game made popular on PC, Mac, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, is making its way to mobile, and users of devices running Apple's iOS will get first dibs.
In a surprise announcement on Thursday, Epic Games said Fortnite is coming to iPhone and iPad, complete with the same maps, content and updates gamers have come to expect on established platforms.
Players can sign up for the "Invite Event" on iOS by visiting the game's website on Monday, with email invitations rolling out shortly thereafter. Once an invitation is received, users will be able to download the game from the App Store.
It seems Epic is meting out access in stages, as signing up does not guarantee a game download. The firm did say, however, that players who manage to score an invite will get an invite code to share with friends.
Perhaps more interesting than a mobile port are cross-platform features being implemented in partnership with Sony. Details are scarce, but the press release notes Cross Play and Cross Progression support between PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, iOS and, later, Android.
"This means players across devices can squad up with friends and play together," Epic says.
Fortnite is a stylized open world shooter that incorporates scavenging, resource collection and building mechanics. Multiple game types are supported, including player-versus-player and cooperative player-versus-environment modes, though battle royale is ostensibly the most popular category with support for duo, squad and mass squad matches.
Hardware requirements are fairly lenient, as gamers are able to play the upcoming title on an iPhone 6S, iPhone SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2 or iPad 2017 running iOS 11. Newer equipment is, of course, also supported.
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3 Comments
Extremely smart. This game will be even bigger than it already is.
I like to see that new major PC/console games are bwing Porter to iOS fairly quickly, and I imagine a battle royals like fort nite will be popular as you can play a match in 5 minutes in many cases.
My grandson is pretty much addicted to that game. It integrates both social connection and teamwork as well as excitement and adventure -- with the requisite level of violence of course... In a lot of ways it has supplanted the neighborhood whiffle ball/football/basketball games of when I was his age. Those few kids without access to the game are excluded from 'the gang'...
He and his buddies set up times and to play and even schedule times before school (6:00am) as well as after. Hopefully, some of them even squeeze in some homework in between games...
But, at the same time, this "free" game has gotten to be quite expensive as he ran up a charge of over $200 on his dad's credit card before his dad realized what was going on...
I wonder:
1) Just how integrated the game will be across platforms? Will things purchased on one platform (X-Box) transition over to the other (iOS?)
2) Will the iOS version have the same power that one can get with an X-Box and controller -- along with its headset and microphone for talking with other players?
3) Will he now be able to play Fortnite during math class?