The most popular game in the video game industry is now playable on Nintendo’s red-hot console.
Nintendo, in its pre-E3 press conference, announced Tuesday that players can download Fortnite free of charge and begin playing immediately, starting at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday.
It’s the full game experience, including the incredibly popular Battle Royale multiplayer online game. A representative at Epic Games said players on Nintendo Switch will be able to compete against players on Xbox One, PC, Mac, and mobile devices. (Sony’s PlayStation 4 remains a closed system for players.)
The game will not have any Switch-specific features at launch, though developers are looking at items, such as touch screen support, for future updates. This will also be the first Switch game to supports voice chat via the console’s headphone jack on the console. Epic Games, which developed the game, was responsible for the Switch version of the game.
Fortnite is certain to grab the short-term attention of players, but it’s not necessarily a game that will sell hardware. For that, Nintendo is counting on Super Smash Bros. Unlimited, the latest game in the long-running fighter series, which will hit shelves on Dec. 7.
This version of Super Smash Bros. will feature every character that has appeared in previous SSB games, including Snake from the Metal Gear Solid franchise and Pac-Man. The new game will also feature characters from Splatoon and Metroid antagonist (and fan favorite) Ridley.
“Everyone is here,” said Shinya Takahashi, managing executive officer with Nintendo and overseer of the Super Smash Bros. franchise. “At Nintendo, we approach development with the goal of making new and unique games to delight and surprise people.”
