Android finally gets Fortnite open beta

Yes you heard right, Fortnite has finally emerged from closed beta and can now be tested by anyone who has a compatible device. Fans have been eagerly awaiting this release and it marks yet another esports game coming to mobile. Skeptics of the genre have been once again stumped as the esports world continues to grow in both popularity and scope. With developers showing no sign of letting up, it looks like the industry is only going to continue to grow. Sorry skeptics, esports are here to stay!

So what is Fortnite bringing to the table? Let’s take a look. Whereas getting into the beta before required players to sign up and hope for an invitation, anyone can now head over to Epic games directly and download the latest test client.

Since the initial release and closed beta test, players have been eagerly awaiting some much needed quality of life fixes. Lag and sluggish performance hindered the initial testing period and fans are hoping that with a fresh client the experience will be a lot more smooth. If so, battle royale on the move will be another new way to pass the time.

Epic will no doubt be poised to collect and analyze the testing data as it comes in. If there’s one thing they’ve done well so far, it’s fix problems and ensure that anything that makes it to release is solid in terms of performance. If they can make the mobile experience match the current versions, it’s sure to take off in a big way.

It’s obviously far too early to say whether there will eventually be mobile based Fortnite leagues, but the ability to play wherever you have an internet connection and phone certainly opens up some interesting possibilities down the road.

For those worried about the phrase ‘compatible devices’, rest assured this round of testing is far more inclusive. Previously only players on a Samsung Galaxy device could join in the fun. This time, you simply need a phone that is running Android. Obviously, if you’re sporting an older model of handset the game may not look fantastic. Indeed, it may prove a bit of a stretch for some models, but it’s still an important part of testing. The more makes and models of handsets that play, the more Epic will have to work with.

The full release will no doubt iron out any bugs found and while we don’t have a specific release date yet that’s not a bad thing. Gamers the world over often express the wish for developers to take the time and get things right rather than rush a release, Fortnite fans are no different. Hopefully the open beta won’t run into any show stopping problems with compatibility and stress testing the servers.

Esports on mobiles is continuing to become a worldwide phenomena, with more and more developers taking up the challenge. Epic’s latest offering certainly promises to be an exciting new way to play Fortnite, wherever you are.