Fortnite Account Merging Feature May Be Delayed: Tim Sweeney

Fortnite's much anticipated account merging feature may be delayed according to a tweet from Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney. Fortnite account merging would allow players to combine Fortnite Battle Royale purchases. In addition to this, they would gain the ability to unlink a console from one account and relink to another. It was slated to be available in November following the announcement of Fortnite getting PS4 cross-platform play with Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. Now it seems that Epic Games has run into a few roadblocks that prevent this from happening.

"Yes, we were just meeting and discussing the account merging web site today," tweeted Sweeney in response to a Fortnite player's concerns about account merging. "It's making progress, but may need to be delayed to fix some problems. There will be an official update later this week."

This will be helpful for those who have played Fortnite on PS4. Sony was the only party blocking complete cross-platform play for the popular free-to-play game, with players on every other platform – Xbox One, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch – able to compete and play alongside each other since launch on respective platforms. A single Fortnite account was enough to log into on whatever platform you owned, unless you had a PS4. Given the popularity of Sony's console this generation, this puts a lot of gamers in a bind. Hopefully this would change soon.

Nonetheless, Fortnite's need for an account merging feature to include the PS4 comes after a stunning volte-face from a company that was vehemently against crossplay.

At IFA 2018, Sony CEO Kenchiro Yoshida explained why the PS4 won't be getting Fortnitecross-platform play with the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. Cross-platform play means those playing Fortnite on PS4, Xbox One, PC, iOS and even Android could play against and with each other, regardless of platform. He believes that the PS4 has the best user experience and that should not be compromised by other consoles. His statement comes after a period of hostility from sections of the gaming community due to the absence of Fortnite cross-platform play between PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions of the game.

"On cross-platform, our way of thinking is always that PlayStation is the best place to play. Fortnite, I believe, partnered with PlayStation 4 is the best experience for users, that's our belief," he said according to Independent.

If you're a fan of video games, check out Transition, Gadgets 360's gaming podcast. You can listen to it via Apple Podcasts or RSS, or just listen to this week's episode by hitting the play button below.