'Fortnite' returns to iOS, Android devices via Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming

FILE PHOTO: The Fortnite logo is seen at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, October 25, 2018. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

(Reuters) -Users of Xbox Cloud Gaming will now be able to play "Fortnite" for free on devices powered by Google-owned Android and Apple's iOS thanks to a partnership between Microsoft Corp and Epic Games, the companies said on Thursday.

The hit battle-royal videogame has been out of the reach of mobile users since Apple Inc and Google removed it from their app stores in 2020 over a tussle about in-app payment guidelines.