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The hit battle-royal videogame has been out of
the reach of mobile users since Apple Inc and Google removed it
from their app stores in 2020 over a tussle about in-app payment
guidelines.
The Microsoft partnership would allow users including PC gamers
to stream "Fortnite" on internet browsers on their devices just
like Netflix irrespective of the hardware specifications.
The move is likely to help Microsoft attract more casual gamers
as the software giant doubles down on efforts to bolster its
presence in the videogaming market and take on rival Sony Corp.
The company earlier this year unveiled a $68.7 billion takeover
of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard.
"Fortnite" is the first free-to-play title to join the Xbox
Cloud Gaming service. "It's an important step to add a
Free-to-Play title to the cloud gaming catalog as we continue
our cloud journey," Microsoft said in a blog post https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2022/05/05/play-fortnite-with-xbox-cloud-gaming-for-free.
Since launching in 2020, more than 10 million people around the
world have streamed games through Xbox Cloud Gaming. The service
is available in 26 markets, including the United States.
Microsoft, as well as Epic Games and scores of other firms, have
criticized Apple's store practices, which require developers to
pay commissions of up to 30% for purchases made in the store.
The "Fortnite" creator has also been involved in a legal battle
with Apple, but it largely lost a trial last year over whether
Apple's payment rules for apps were anticompetitive.
That decision found Apple had suitable reasons to force some app
makers to use its payment system and take commissions of 15% to
30% on their sales.
(Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni)
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