Epic Games has deliberately chosen not to make Fortnite available on Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud), citing concerns that Microsoft’s cloud service directly competes with Epic’s PC offering, the company’s vice president of business development said.
Joe Kreiner, Epic’s vice president of business development, confirmed the decision in comments to The Verge, saying the developer views Microsoft’s xCloud efforts as competition to its PC platform.
Why Epic picked Nvidia’s GeForce Now over Microsoft
Fortnite remains free on Xbox and other platforms, but access on iPhone and iPad is limited. The only cloud option for Apple devices is Nvidia’s GeForce Now, following a partnership between Epic and Nvidia launched last year.
Under that arrangement, Epic receives all purchase revenue for Fortnite and any other titles, a revenue flow the company would not have with Microsoft because Microsoft does not allow third-party storefronts within Xbox or xCloud services. That restriction would route transactions through Microsoft, which likely influenced Epic’s decision to favor Nvidia for hosting Fortnite in the cloud.
Negotiations and strategic considerations
Kreiner indicated Epic did not pursue a deal with Microsoft as xCloud’s arrival on iOS approached. The company’s stance reflects a deliberate choice rather than a technical limitation.
Legal backdrop with Apple
Epic’s move comes as the developer and Apple prepare to appear in court on May 3 over a dispute that began when Epic implemented direct payments in Fortnite to avoid Apple’s App Store fees. The ongoing litigation remains a separate but relevant context for Epic’s platform and distribution decisions.
Source: The Verge
