Summary
Fortniteplayers who access the game through Microsoft’s xCloud service without a Game Pass subscription may have their play time limited, according to a new datamining leak. While the reported information doesn’t make it sound likeFortniteplayers through xCloud will be cut off entirely, they could face a cap on their minutes of play time per session if the rumors are true.
Microsoft announced its xCloud streaming servicefor games in October 2018, releasing a preview version a little over a year later. Launching its completed version in September 2020, xCloud is primarily linked with Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service for Xbox consoles and PC, but players can also access the cloud service through other devices, including mobile phones, Meta Quest headsets, and some Amazon Fire TV devices.
Users ofxCloud can accessFortnitewithout needing a subscription to Game Pass, giving them one point of access to join online matches in the popular battle royal from Epic Games. However, a recent leak of reportedly datamined code by the Twitter account of third-party open-source tool Better xCloud, which claims improved streaming performance and customizable controls when using xCloud, has shared a series of coding that suggests that xCloud may be limiting unpaid users' access in the future. The post includes an image featuring a series of upsell headers that contain phrases like “Less waiting, more playing” and “Join Game Pass Ultimate.” However, two highlighted sections of code mention “minutes of playtime per session” and “Priority queue access, longer session length,” suggesting unpaid xCloud users may have to wait longer to get intoFortniteand won’t be able to play as long per session.
xCloud Users Without Game Pass May Have Limited Play in Fortnite
There doesn’t seem to be any official word from Microsoft confirming or denying these claims yet. However, many fans of the game are convinced the rumors could hold weight, consideringFortnite’smassive player countof more than 110 million active players, which some have pointed out are likely using up a lot of bandwidth on xCloud’s servers without paying a subscription fee.
Others believe the supposed extra strain may be caused largely by players on mobile phones.Fortnite’s ban from the App Storebegan in 2020 over legal disputes about the in-game purchase of V-bucks. While the game is still no longer available on the App Store or Google Play, players on iOS and Android devices can download it from multiple sources, including the Epic Games App, and use xCloud or GeForce Now to access its online play.
