Before Epic Games' Fortnite was the juggernaut free-to-play battle royale everyone knows it as today, the developer was working on a combined first-person shooter and tower defense game called Fortnite: Save the World. While the two games are essentially separate entities, the battle royale has referenced Save the World with skins based on its characters, and it seems the ongoing legal battle between Apple and Epic Games will be affecting both titles.
Epic Games announced that Fortnite: Save the World will no longer be playable on macOS starting September 23. Its September 16 news post making the announcement said, "Apple is preventing Epic from signing games and patches for distribution on Mac." Because the developer cannot apply updates on macOS, it said the version 14.20 update will cause so many issues for players stuck on version 13.40 that it would result in "a very poor experience."
Fortnite was banned from the iOS app store and Epic Games' developer account was terminated after Apple claimed it violated its terms and services, which has led to back-and-forth legal action between the two companies as well as an extended "Free Fortnite" campaign on social media being pushed by Epic Games. With regards to Save the World, Epic said it will issue refunds to any Mac user who purchased and played the game between September 17, 2019 and September 17, 2020.
This refund process will require no input from players, according to the developer, and those players will retain any previously purchased V-Bucks and items on their account. The game also has cross-progression, so players can access everything they own on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Fortnite: Battle Royale could be banned from the app store for at least a year, and it's unclear if Save the World would return to Mac if the legal battle ends.
Though Fortnite has faltered on certain devices, its overall popularity and presence on other platforms remains. In fact, last week it was confirmed that Fortnite will be a PlayStation 5 launch title during Sony's PS5 showcase event, which also debuted the console's price and release date this November.
Epic Games is also continuing to host major events inside the battle royale. This weekend, musical artist Anderson .Paak performed a concert in Fortnite, which has featured numerous icons from Marvel Comics as part of its latest "Nexus War" season of content. Though Save the World has never reached the popularity of its free-to-play spin-off, this decision shows how wide-reaching the effects of the current legal battle with Apple are.
Fortnite: Save the World is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: Epic Games