Everybody knew that Fortnite would be announced for the Nintendo Switch at E3, and nobody was disappointed when it was. Fortnite on the Switch is already available as free download from the Nintendo eShop and players have already started playing the world’s most popular game.
Something else that we’ve learned over the last few days is that Fortnite now has over 125 million players. That vast number is even more incredible considering the game has only been out for less than a year. Incredibly, the free-to-play Battle Royale version of Fortnite has only been available since September.
Fortnite’s huge numbers come from the fact that it is a true free-to-play experience. Paid extras, like skins to dress up your avatar and dance moves to emote with don’t give players an unfair advantage. Another factor will be the fact that Fortnite is available on most major platforms including iOS. Fortnite’s release on the Switch means that Android owners are the only people who can’t play Fortnite. Epic Games say they are looking at a summer release for an Android version of Fortnite so we can expect to see Fortnite player numbers swell even further as, according to Google, there are over 2 billion active Android phones in the world.
Some bad news for Fortnite fans, however, is that Sony has decided to block cross-platform play between PS4 and Switch. This means players won’t be able to continue their Fortnite sessions on the fly, using their Switch, if they began on the PS4. More disturbingly, Fortnite accounts, with Epic Games, linked to the PlayStation Network (PSN) can’t be accessed from the Switch. Players on the Switch won’t have access to any of the skins or emotes they’ve accrued using their PSN-linked Epic accounts. It has been confirmed though that Fortnite cross-platform play will be possible between Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mobile. Quite rightly, Fortnite fans aren’t happy about Sony’s position here.
The last big bit of Fortnite news from the last couple of days comes in the form the first ever Fortnite World Cup. Qualifiers will begin in the Fall, with the big competition taking place towards the end of 2019. There will be no franchises or teams for sale with the action open to anyone, which means you can enter. With a prize pool of $100 million, it could be a good time to start practicing and honing your skills. Epic said:
“What about the specifics? The $100,000,000 will be split between many events at different levels of competition around the globe. Fortnite World Cup play will focus on Solos and Duos, but there’ll be plenty of opportunities to squad-up in competition, too… Rules, Player Code of Conduct, specifics about platforms and Fall 2018 schedule are on the way. If you’re interested in learning more about Fortnite competitive play sign up…”
To sign up for the world cup, go to Epic’s blog by clicking here.
Lots of big Fortnite news then. Some good, some bad, but one thing is clear Fortnite is going to keep getting bigger and bigger for some time yet. Which story do you think is the most exciting? Let us know in the comments below.
