Gameplay for those who play Fortnite on mobile has all but ground to a halt since the beginning of the Epic Games versus Apple legal battle began. And it will get even harder for iOS mobile players as Apple will soon prevent Fortnite players from logging into the game with Apple IDs.
Epic introduced a new way for players to purchase V-bucks that got around the Apple and Google Store pay systems. Apple immediately removed Fortnite from its store with Google following soon after. As a result of its removal, Epic Games sued both Apple and Google to challenge their monopolies over mobile marketplaces. Since then, Fortnite is not available for download or updates on many mobile devices without workarounds. And now Apple is taking it a step further.
As of September 11th, 2020, Fortnite players will no longer be able to sign in from any Apple device with their Apple ID. Epic Games has stated that Apple is the one removing the connection between the Apple ID and Fortnite accounts. Due to the legal proceedings, players couldn't easily download or update the game as Fortnite had been removed from the Apple store. Now, devices that still have Fortnite installed will have to go through an extra step to keep their accounts intact and Fortnite up and running.
If players want to continue to use their device for Fortnite, especially if they paid a lot of money for an iPhone with Fortnite installed on it, they'll have to update their accounts to keep it connected. Before the 11th, players can log into their account on Epic's site. Then add an email address and password, and those will replace the Apple ID login. Epic's website has a walk through of how to make sure that accounts will continue to work after the turn-off date.
After the 11th, players may be able to recover their accounts, but it will involve calling the company's contact line. Also, it is uncertain if it will work or what information players will need to be able to recover their account after the 11th. Hopefully, Epic suing Apple and Apple counter suing Epic for breach of contract will be over soon, and players can get back to playing Fortnite on mobile like normal. Because while this legal drama is bad for Epic's bottom line, it's even worse for those who love the game and just want to be able to play on their phones.
Fortnite is available for PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and mobile devices, with PS5 and Xbox Series X support planned for later this year.
Source: DualShockers; Epic Games