Nintendo Switch Fortnite Bundle to Launch on October 5

Much like the PS4, Fortnite is getting a Nintendo Switch bundle soon. It will ship with a Nintendo Switch console, a full game download of Fortnite, cosmetic items for the game referred to as the Double Helix bundle (consisting of a unique character outfit, back bling, glider and pickaxe), and 1,000 V-Bucks - Fortnite's in-game currency. The Nintendo Switch Fortnite bundle release date is October 5 in the US and Europe with a price of $300 (around Rs. 21,000). It's an interesting time to bring in a new Nintendo Switch bundle when you consider that the console has its paid online service, imaginatively known as Nintendo Switch Online, going live from September 18 in the US at 8pm ET (5:30am IST on September 19).

Previously, Fortnite on the Nintendo Switch was discovered to have a host of performance issues. According to Epic, Fortnite on the Nintendo Switch suffered from issues where models and environment don't render properly. Furthermore, Fortnite on the Nintendo Switch also had hitches that have gotten worse with each subsequent update. Loading performance has also suffered with each update. All of these issues made the Nintendo Switch version worse than what it is on Android and iOS. These were rectified by Epic by disabling video capture while playing Fortnite on the Nintendo Switch. The feature was removed with Fortnite v5.40.2 for Switch. In a thread on the Nintendo Switch subreddit, Epic said it would look at bringing it back as an optional feature in the future. This was likely the fix Epic talked about last week.

"Fortnite’s launch went extremely well — we had more than two million downloads in less than 24 hours," Reggie Fils-Aime, President and Chief Operating Officer of Nintendo of America, told Polygon in an interview at E3 2018. "I think that speaks to the power of the franchise, the engagement of our players and the resonance of being able to play it anytime, anywhere."

Also keep in mind that this is the Fortnite Battle Royale mode and not Save the World, which Epic Games has no plans of bringing to the Nintendo Switch. It's the game's cooperative experience and is currently in paid early access on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It makes sense considering most of Epic's efforts for Fortnite have gone towards the battle royale component.