E3 2018: Fortnite Out Now For Free On Switch

It seems that Chance the Rapper was right, he was just off by a day. The explosively popular Battle Royale game Fortnite has a new home: the Nintendo Switch. Revealed today during Nintendo's E3 2018 presentation, a new trailer showed off not only the game running on Nintendo Switch but a surprise "available today" release date. [Update: Fortnite is out now on the Eshop. It suffered some some matchmaking issues immediately after launch, but Epic says they have been ironed out and we've managed to play online successfully.]

Nintendo announced that the game would be live in the US starting at 10 AM PT on Tuesday, June 12. The trailer claims you can "play anywhere," though you do of course need an internet connection to play. The trailer was otherwise light on details, but we've since learned that cross-play is available with other versions of the game--with the exception of PS4. From our brief experience with it so far, it actually runs quite well on the system, as was to be expected given how competent the iPhone version is. The only thing of note that's missing is Save the World, the game's PvE mode that remains in early access on other platforms.

Earlier this year, Fortnite released a mobile port that lets players face-off against PC opponents. The Switch edition also supports cross-platform play with PC, Xbox One, and Mac versions of the game, allowing you to party up with friends playing on those or simply square off against people playing them.

Fortnite has a presence at this E3 with a massive inflatable battle bus flying over LA as well as a booth on the show floor and the Pro-Am. If you're new to the game and eager to get started, read up on our Weekly Challenges Guide and 27 Tips for Beginners.