With the Apple vs. Epic Games lawsuit continuing on, there are no signs that Apple has any intention of allowing popular battle royale game Fortnite to return to the App Store on iPhone and iPad.
Epic Games has found a workaround though, by partnering up with Nvidia. GeForce NOW, Nvidia's streaming gaming service, will soon add Fortnite support, allowing Fortnite to be played through a browser on iOS devices with touch-based controls.
Nvidia in November 2020 introduced Safari integration, allowing GeForce NOW's library of games to be played on iOS devices. At the time, Nvidia said that it was working with Epic Games on a touch-friendly version of Fortnite that would run on the iPhone and iPad.
More than a year later, Fortnite for mobile is nearly ready to launch. Nvidia today announced the upcoming release of a Fortnite limited time closed beta, which users can sign up for.
There is a waitlist on the GeForce NOW website, and Nvidia says that players can register for free for a chance to play the new touch-control version of Fortnite on mobile devices. The game is going to be available on Android and iOS devices through browser integration.
Those interested in participating will need to create an Nvidia account and sign up for the waitlist, and sign up for a GeForce NOW membership. Both free and priority memberships have an equal chance of gaining access to the beta, but Nvidia says that spots are limited.
Selected beta testers will receive access to the Fortnite mobile game later in January, and after the limited time beta, we can expect to see an official launch of the Fortnite experience for GeForce NOW. There is no word at this time when Fortnite might be more widely available.
The Fortnite app has not been available from the iOS App Store since August 13, 2020, which is when Apple pulled it after Epic Games broke Apple's App Store guidelines by adding a direct purchase option.
An initial decision was reached in the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit earlier this year, but both companies are appealing and there was no provision in the ruling requiring Apple to reinstate Fortnite.
Apple in September said that it had no plans to consider allowing Fortnite back into the App Store until the legal battle has played out, a process that could span multiple years.
