'Fortnite' is now free on iOS and Android.
The online battle royale game had previously been available on iOS and Android decides via the Xbox Cloud Gaming subscription service but has of Thursday (05.05.22) has been launched directly on the smartphone app stores so players can access it as long as they have a Microsoft account login.
Catherine Gluckstein, Vice President and Head of Product at Xbox Cloud Gaming said in a blog post: "As part of our mission to bring the joy and community of gaming to players wherever they are and to make gaming more accessible to people around the world, I’m excited to announce that we’ve partnered with Epic Games to make 'Fortnite' available on supported browser-enabled devices for free with Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) in 26 countries. This means, starting today, if you love Fortnite you only need two things to play in cloud-supported markets:
A Microsoft account
An iOS, iPad OS, Android phone or tablet, or Windows PC with internet access,"
The Microsoft boss went on to explain that "no installation or memberships" will now be required to access the game which will make the game "easier" to play and teased that further games could follow suit.
She wrote: "With no installation or memberships required, all you need to do is go to Xbox.com/play on your web browser and sign-in with your Microsoft Account to party-up with friends or earn your next Victory Royale in Fortnite.
Whether you want to play 'Fortnite' with native touch controls or a supported controller, it’s easy to jump into Fortnite with Xbox Cloud Gaming.
It’s an important step to add a Free-to-Play title to the cloud gaming catalog as we continue our cloud journey. We’re starting with 'Fortnite' and will look to bring more Free-to-Play games people love in the future."
Sign up for 'Fortnite' for free at https://www.xbox.com/en-US/play.