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Fortnite: Battle Royale will bring its 100-player battles to Android and iOS (Updated)
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With games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (known as PUBG) and Fortnite: Battle Royale being as popular as they are on PC and consoles, it was only a matter of time until they made it to mobile. That time is now, as Epic Games announced that Android and iOS versions of its popular battle royal-style game are in development.
Unlike the two PUBG mobile games, which were handed off to another company, Epic Games will handle the mobile versions of Fortnite: Battle Royal in-studio. According to the developer, the mobile versions will feature the same 100-player matches from their PC and console counterparts.
Even more impressive, the mobile versions of Fortnite: Battle Royale will feature cross-play and the ability to maintain progression between platforms, including PlayStation 4, PC, and Mac. This indicates that Epic Games wants the mobile versions to have as much feature parity with the other versions as possible.
Epic Games did not give us an exact release for Fortnite: Battle Royale for Android. Instead, regular batches of iOS users will gain access to the game as part of an invite event process, which starts Monday, March 12. Those who receive invites will also get friend invite codes to share with others.
Also unknown is how Epic Games translates Fortnite: Battle Royale‘s survival mechanics and twitchy gunplay to a touchscreen interface. The developer has plenty of experience on mobile, seeing how it co-developed the three Infinity Blade games with Chair Entertainment.
Epic Games also promised that the mobile versions of Fortnite: Battle Royale will feature the “same gameplay, same map, same content, [and] same weekly updates” as their PC and console counterparts.
Even so, translating a game like that to mobile is not an easy task. Visuals will take a hit, but what will the draw distance be like? How will players aim? Will the free-to-play mechanics on mobile bog down the gameplay? What will in-app purchases look like?
iOS users will get the first crack at some answers as early as March 12. Android users have to wait a few months to get in on the fun.