Fornite, the popular Free-to-Play arena-shooter from Epic Games, is expected to arrive on mobile platforms starting on Monday, March 12, as per their blog post. The initial release is limited only to iOS devices and will only be open to players who sign up via www.fortnite.com. Players who recieve invites will also receive tickets to invite their friends. As with their larger counterparts, the mobile version is expected to have “(the) Same gameplay, same map, same content, same weekly updates.” As for the Android release, the developers stated that it should be expected to roll-out in the coming months.
Along these lines, the developers also promised cross-platform gameplay, citing that players using Mac and PC, can play together with their mobile friends. Epic Games also stated that they were in talks with Sony, allowing PS4-users to join-in in the cross-platform chaos. They went further by stating, “We believe this is the future of games. The same game on all platforms. Console quality graphics and action. Play when you want, where you want.” No concrete news for the Xbox One as of yet.
Fortnite can be considered as two games in one package. The initial and vanilla version, the one released before the Battle Royale, was a wave defense game. It has players battling hordes of monsters while building a fort that’s filled with traps and defenses to stem the waves. This system also encompasses gathering, third-person shooting, and player-coop. The game was released as Beta, allowing players who pre-ordered to test the game out. Despite being a beta, things didn’t pan out well. This in turn made the developers look for another means to revitalize their already ailing IP.
Capitalizing on the success of Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds’ Battle Royale, the Epic Games decided to pay homage to the genre by implementing their own take. Faster, lighter, and more optimized, not to mention, FREE, Fortnite’s version was a success. Though this move might’ve not been that popular, it did ensure Fortnite’s continued existence.
