Fortnite For Switch Won't Need An Online Subscription To Play

Tomorrow, Nintendo Switch Online launches, more than 18 months after the Switch was first introduced. While we were waiting for Switch Online to arrive, Nintendo offered online multiplayer capabilities for free, but that's all going to change tomorrow. Once Switch Online launches, you'll need to pay for a subscription to continue playing online, but fortunately, you won't need to in order to play Fortnite.Fortnite, as pretty much all of you probably know by now, is a game that's played entirely online. In an FAQ centered around Switch Online, Nintendo points out that some games won't require a subscription to the service, naming Fortnite specifically. "Some games, such as Fortnite, can be played online without a Nintendo Switch membership," the company writes.

Other games that won't require a subscription weren't listed, but we can almost certainly expect Nintendo to determine that on a case-by-case basis. Epic likely had a hand in convincing Nintendo to let Switch owners play Fortnite without a subscription, and even if it didn't, it doesn't make a ton of sense to lock a free-to-play game behind Switch Online's paywall.

In addition granting online play in first and third-party games, Switch Online will also offer a constantly-growing library of classic NES titles. Those NES games have been updated to support online multiplayer, though last week we learned that Switch owners will need to perform an online check-in every week to continue playing them.

Cloud backups for game saves will also be included in Switch Online, though not all games will be compatible with cloud saves. Nintendo Switch Online goes live tomorrow, September 18, and runs $20 a year or $4 per month.