#FreeFortnite? Forget About It

If you follow along here, you're probably already aware that when it comes to Fornite I'm something of an addict.

Save your judgmental looks for the next 14-year-old that you encounter. I really enjoy the game, and have for some time now.

But, unlike the aforementioned 14-year-old, I have heretofore played the game on my iPhone. I am what the "kids" call a player of Fortnite Mobile (even though it's essentially the same game on console and PC). 

Well, all of that is now changing.

A couple of weeks ago, Fortnite launched Season 4 of Chapter 2:

...which, given my fandom of all-things-Marvel, really got me excited! I might be able to actually play the game as Logan/Wolverine?! Awesome.

Then, news broke about Apple blocking updates to the Fortnite game app on iOS devices:

Apple Inc. terminated Epic Games’s App Store developer account, escalating a bitter legal fight over the iPhone maker’s controversial fees and rules. This means Epic can’t submit new apps or updates to the App Store and it prevents iPhone users from making purchases inside Epic’s popular Fortnite video game via Apple’s payment system. It will also leave the Apple version of Fortnite stalled in its current state.

...which is currently at the end of season 3, but with no real distinguishing features (i.e. no challenges or updates).

On the othe rside, Epic Games is using this as an opportunity to develop some marketing around the fight.

#FreeFortnite is Epic Games poking Apple in the eye. The Apple-inspired llama logo and "Free Fortnite" in Apple Garamond font typeface. The villain with an apple for a head. I mean, just check out the video that they created that is a send-up of Apple's famous "1984" ad:

Sick burn. And pretty brilliant.

Honestly though, I don't really care. I can certainly see Apple's side of the argument ("Epic broke Apple's developer policies"), and I can also see Epic's side too ("Apple is taking way too much money from developers"). But at the end of the day, I just want to play the game - and in a current state.

So I up and bought a game console.

Nintendo Switch is what I went with (after considering Xbox and Playstation) because of the portability. I often play Fortnite on my phone while sitting on the couch watching TV with the family. The Switch allows me to still continue that activity. Additionally, I can play some classic Nintendo games (like Super Mario Bros. or The Legend of Zelda) on the Switch. I love those classic games too.

I'm also in the process of renovating our downstairs rec room (more on that project in a future post!) and thought that the Nintendo would be a great addition to that room (since there are a lot of "get up and do stuff" types of games).

The purchase was about a week ago, and I'm getting the hang of the controls. How do I know? Because I'm getting some wins:

Admittedly, so far my wins are pretty sloppy since I'm still getting used to the vastly different way in which I operate. Playing on mobile, I was averaging nine or ten eliminations in each game, with my record being 17. I think that the most that I've gotten on the Nintendo is six.

Whomp, whomp.

But I'm still working at it. AND playing as Marvel characters is a HUGE bonus. You can see two screens of Thor above, and I've also collected Groot, Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, and Storm. Still have yet to get Tony Stark/Iron Man, Mystique, Dr. Doom, and - wait for it - WOLVERINE. So cool.

Additionally, Epic just added Blade to the line-up. Pretty sweet.

Side note: How much is Epic paying Marvel/Disney to have all of this content in the game? I mean, there is a TON of stuff. Not just characters either. There are quinjets, Trask trucks, Sentinels, and a myriad of other Marvel property-related stuff.

So, whether Fortnite becomes "freed" on iOS devices again is no longer a concern for me. I'll enjoy continuing to play onward in season four on a console!