Epic Games boss says Fortnite is coming back to iOS (iPhones) next year

In the wee hours of the morning of January 1, 2023, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney made a shocking revelation about Fortnite. Amidst the celebrations and digital fireworks illuminating the sky in-game, he casually took to Twitter and wrote:

"Next year on iOS!"

While the statement is rather vague, those who were around during the Apple vs. Epic lawsuit know all too well what it could mean. Although he never did provide an explanation for the tweet, it will be a big move for the developer if it does come true.

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Will Fortnite be back on iOS in 2024 or is Tim Sweeney being hopeful?

Tim Sweeney's statement on Twitter was short, sweet, and to the point. However, it may have been lost in translation. It's unclear if he was merely trying to be optimistic or was sharing first-hand knowledge of something that was about to happen.

Considering that Fortnite has been banned from the App Store for a few years, it's unclear how the game will return to iOS devices. Granted, players can indeed play the game via GeForce Now, but it's not quite the same thing.

While technology and cloud gaming in general have indeed progressed far and wide, nothing beats having the game boot directly from the device. That said, it may be possible that Epic Games and Apple are brokering a deal on the sidelines to get the game back in the store. Here's what a few fans had to say:

If Fortnite does return to the App Store, a whopping 116 million players or more will swell the ranks in-game. This accounts for about one-third of the total playerbase. But what will happen to the numerous seasons that iOS players have missed out on?

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Will Fortnite iOS players get to finish Chapter 2 and 3?

iOS players have been stuck in the past for a while now. While the current timeline is in Chapter 4 Season 1, those on iOS devices are stuck in Chapter 2 Season 3. They did not get a chance to progress in the storyline past the "Splashdown" theme.

In fact, most iOS players who were unable to shift to other platforms to play missed out on many key events. These include: the introduction of The Foundation and other members of The Seven, The Last Reality's invasion, The Cube Queen, Chapter 2's ending, The Herald, the entirety of Chapter 3, and even the start of Chapter 4.

As sad as this may sound, 'when and if' Fortnite returns to iOS devices, players will be hot-dropped into the current timeline. They will not get a chance to complete Chapter 2 or 3, and if Chapter 4 has a runtime of 12 months, they may only rejoin the metaverse in Chapter 5. That said, there's nothing that can be done.

Since Fortnite is a live-service game, there's no chance of a storyline-rewind to fill up the gaps for players who missed out. They will have to read up on lore or watch a few videos by content creators such as SypherPK to bring themselves up to speed. Hopefully, this will not prove too cumbersome to most enthusiasts.