How To Play Fortnite on iPad

After years of absence, Fortnite returns to iOS and the App Store, but with a catch: it’s only for those of you who live in the EU. So, a set of people can finally enjoy the thrill of the battle royale in iPad form. Progress could still be made for the rest of the world, but we’ll take the small successes as they come. In the meantime, there are still ways you iPad users can enjoy Fortnite whether you live in the EU or not.

[Updated September 20, 2024 – included info about Epic Games returning to the App Store]

Playing Fortnite on the iPad

Epic Games recently celebrated the inclusion of Fortnite being playable on the iPad alongside other devices:

For those in the EU, it couldn’t be easier to join in on the fun:

1. On your iPad, download the Epic Games Store via the App Store
2. Log into your Epic Games account (or create one) and install Fortnite
3. Load up and enjoy! 

It’ll also look great on the iPad as Fortnite and other games like Fall Guys are fully optimized. So, you can boot it up in fullscreen with ideal quality.

But if you’re a player who doesn’t live in Europe, you can still play Fortnite on your iPad without using the App Store. The best way to do that is by using Xbox Cloud Gaming. There are a few more steps to do this, but it’ll work nonetheless:

1. Using your iPad, go to your web browser and head to xbox.com/play
2. Create or sign into your Microsoft account
3. Now that you’re in Game Pass, find Fortnite under the free options
4. Once you select that you’re ready to play, you should see a prompt that will want to add the Xbox Cloud Gaming service icon to your iPad homepage
5. Select your bookmark icon on the right side and choose “Add to Home Screen”
6. You can now leave the browser and head to your home page to select the new icon
7. You may be asked to log into your Microsoft account again (and create an Xbox profile if you don’t have one already)
8. Once logged in, click on Fortnite, and you can now play it on your iPad

Although you can play Fortnite on the iPad using the touchscreen, playing with a Bluetooth-connected controller may be the best approach. There’s just a better chance to get a faster reaction time using a controller rather than a touchscreen that can easily get sensitive depending on where you’re touching the screen. And in a match, you don’t want anything hindering you.