Fortnite Code Suggests Popular Game Could Launch on Apple TV in the Future [Update: No]

Fortnite could launch on Apple TV at one point in the future, according to a new discovery by the @StormLeaks Twitter account late yesterday. As reported by esports and gaming website Dexerto, @StormLeaks found a single line within Fortnite's code that references "tvOS," suggesting that Epic Games may be planning to launch the popular game on Apple's fourth- and fifth-generation set-top boxes down the line.

Still, this is just a single mention of tvOS in Fortnite's code and shouldn't be taken as a guarantee that the game will be available to play on Apple TV soon. If it does, the game would likely require a compatible wireless gaming controller, two of which Apple sells for $49.95 on its website.

fortnite apple tv

As it stands, Fortnite is currently available on iOS, macOS, Android, PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. Fortnite initially launched as a beta on iOS in March and then expanded wide in April. The smartphone apps are focused entirely on Fortnite's PvP Battle Royale mode, but the console and desktop versions of the game also include a PvE mode called Save the World.

Fortnite Battle Royale on iOS is free-to-play (like it is on all platforms), but due to in-game content purchases the app in June reached $100 million in revenue 90 days after launch. Fortnite initially launched wide in summer 2017 on consoles, macOS, and PC, focusing only on the Save the World mode, with Battle Royale releasing a few months later in September 2017.

Update: According to Epic Games, there are no plans to bring Fortnite to the Apple TV. From Epic's Senior PR Manager: "Epic isn’t planning to bring Fortnite to Apple TV. References to tvOS in the Fortnite files are the result of general Unreal Engine support for the Apple TV platform."

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...

Top Rated Comments

tipoo Avatar
86 months ago
Good stuff. I really want to see what the ATV 4K can do when it stretches its legs with that actively cooled A10X and a gamepad. It's easily a head and some shoulder above the Switch, which can run things like Fortnite and Doom.


What I really want to see Apple do is take the publisher role, fund some AAA exclusives for it through third parties.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IGI2 Avatar
86 months ago
That would be awesome!

I would finally have an argument to buy a pad for Apple TV.

Now it's hard to justify the expense.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tricil Avatar
86 months ago
oh man, where we droppin boys?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
3304614 Avatar
86 months ago
Apple threw away the chance long ago to make the Apple TV a really nice gaming console. Needs first-party controllers, not this MFi-or-whatever nonsense.
The SteelSeries Nimbus controllers -- that Apple has always pushed as if they were first-party controllers -- are well-made, high-qualify controllers. SteelSeries makes great gaming accessories (the Apple TV Nimbus controllers specifically, and all of their products in general). The controllers themselves are not the problem. The problem is Apple's overall gaming strategy (or lack thereof).

From the beginning their gaming strategy with the Apple TV was bad. Requiring the use of the Siri Remote for all games was terrible (although they finally realized how awful the Siri Remote was for gaming and eventually removed that requirement). No API for clickable analog sticks was a slight oversight. Limiting app downloads to 200 MB with the rest of the application needing to be streamed on demand each time was a huge oversight (although they also finally increased that limit to 4 GB last year, I believe).

Apple has slowly been fixing their obvious problems. With this 5th gen Apple TV, though, gaming on the Apple TV probably won't progress much further than it is now. Apple fixed the obvious mistakes, but they aren't doing much else with the platform at the moment. But when Apple releases the Apple TV 6th gen in however many years, they could learn from their past mistakes and make Apple TV a viable gaming platform. .... maybe.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bacaramac Avatar
86 months ago
My boys would be thrilled since I refuse to invest in another dedicated console. They have ATV 4K and would be able to just buy them a game pad.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
petsounds Avatar
86 months ago
I’m in disbelief that ATV gaming hasn’t taken off full steam already. I’d bet lots of people wouldn’t get a dedicated console if casual games were ‘good enough’.

For that matter the potential is a system seller. I do t have or really need an ATV. But I’d buy one for the right access to games. And at a fraction of the cost of a big console.

All the pieces are in place. There just needs to be more initiative. This could be a huge part of the Apple ecosystem driving hardware sales and further media sales.
Why are you in disbelief? There's several disadvantages to the Apple TV ecosystem from a developer POV right now. One, there is no Apple first-party game controller and no controller bundle Apple even sells. Why would a big studio put money into a platform where the majority of its owners don't have the controller with which to play their games? Second, the lack of local storage is a huge issue for AAA games. Downloading levels piece by piece is just not the way traditional console games are structured right now and the size of modern AAA games would make that an unpleasant (and even costly) experience for everyone but the most high-bandwidth and highest data plan broadband connections.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)