Do you need Xbox live to play Fortnite? Explained

Fortnite is one of the most popular battle royale games in the world. Aside from an impressive storyline and august gameplay, one more feature adds to its popularity. The game is free-to-play and is available across all electronic platforms and consoles sans Mac iOS.

Players do not need an Xbox Live membership to enjoy Fortnite on an Xbox. While players can enjoy the game freely now, that wasn't the case till a year back. Until April 2021, players were required to purchase an Xbox Live membership to play a game that was free-to-play everywhere else.

Microsoft's Xbox Live membership is a subscription-based plan that allows patrons to play online multiplayer games on an Xbox device. Of late, the service has been replaced with a more popular one, the Xbox GamePass. It provides players access to various gaming titles across different genres, in addition to all the benefits of Xbox Live.

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Fortnite is now free-to-play across Xbox

Earlier, Xbox players were required to purchase an Xbox Live membership to play Fortnite. Since the game falls under the online multiplayer category, it was included in the service, irrespective of the fact that it is free-to-play on all other platforms, including Microsoft's very own Windows OS.

Back in 2021, Microsoft faced a backlash from the community for its restrictive policies. The developers faced a fierce uproar from the gaming community, so they decided to roll back their earlier decision. In April 2022, Microsoft made more than 50 free-to-play titles available on the Xbox platform. This also included games like Fortnite and Apex Legends.

Once deemed prohibitive, Xbox is on a fast track to becoming the most innovative organization in the gaming sphere. Their awe-inspiring technology has decentralized the gaming experience and has almost eradicated the device constraint. The Xbox Cloud Gaming service enables players to access and play many gaming titles across any gaming-compatible device.

Players can play Fortnite on Apple (iOS/macOS) devices with this service. Since August 2022, the game has been banned across Apple devices. This came after a legal dispute between Apple Computers and Epic Games regarding restrictive use and availability on App Store.

Historically, the game's developers have been anti-monopoly and have taken strong measures to counter any force that would prevent free access to the game. However, when it came to Xbox, the players stood up to the giants, while the developers were nowhere to be seen. Epic Games has faced a somewhat similar situation with China too.

A few years back, Epic Games introduced a different version of Fortnite to pander to Chinese players. The game was developed under strict directives from the government and was very different from the original one. While it did sustain for a few years, the developers ultimately pulled the plug on it.

The current Chapter 3 Season 3 is only 40 days shy of completion. So far, the season has been one of the best. In addition to a relaxed timeline and party theme, the latest season also boasts an impressive Battle Pass.