Fortnite is an Xbox One free-to-play game, which means you don’t need to spend any money on the base game to play. However, an internet connection is required to initiate and complete the download, and for playing the game’s popular Battle Royale mode, which is entirely online.

How to Download Fortnite on Xbox One

The Fortnite video game is a purely digital title, meaning you’ll need to download it fully from the Xbox One’s online storefront. And since it’s completely free to download and play, you won’t need to enter any payment information or personal details during the download process.

  • Turn on your Xbox One console. Make sure it’s connected to the internet and you’re logged into your Xbox network account.
  • You can check your account by looking at the Gamerpic in the top-left corner of the screen. If your console is offline, you will be told as such via a message on your dashboard.
  • Press RB on your controller to navigate to the Store tab on the Xbox One dashboard.
  • Highlight Search and press A.
  • If the Fortnite game is featured on the front page of the Store tab, you can highlight it instead and then press A.
  • Type “Fortnite” in the search bar and press the Menu button.
  • The Menu button is the small black button on the Xbox controller with the three horizontal lines on it.
  • Highlight Fortnite and press A. It should have no price underneath it.
  • You’ll be shown a variety of Fortnite bundles and downloadable content in your search results. Make sure you don’t select these. Additionally, Fortnite’s cover artwork updates on a very regular basis, so going purely off of the image may result in your choosing the incorrect product.
  • Highlight Get and press A.
  • If you’ve downloaded Fortnite previously, the button will say “Install” instead.
  • The Fortnite download will begin. You can track its progress by pressing the glowing Xbox logo button on your controller.

How to Play Fortnite on Xbox One

Once the Fortnite download finishes, you’ll receive a notification on your Xbox One console.

While it’s possible to buy Fortnite in stores, this will simply get you a plastic case with a code inside. You’ll then need to redeem this code on your Xbox One and download it. There’s no proper disc version of the game on any console.

Turn on your Xbox One console. Make sure it’s connected to the internet and you’re logged into your Xbox network account.

You can check your account by looking at the Gamerpic in the top-left corner of the screen. If your console is offline, you will be told as such via a message on your dashboard.

Press RB on your controller to navigate to the Store tab on the Xbox One dashboard.

Highlight Search and press A.

If the Fortnite game is featured on the front page of the Store tab, you can highlight it instead and then press A.

Type “Fortnite” in the search bar and press the Menu button.

The Menu button is the small black button on the Xbox controller with the three horizontal lines on it.

Highlight Fortnite and press A. It should have no price underneath it.

You’ll be shown a variety of Fortnite bundles and downloadable content in your search results. Make sure you don’t select these. Additionally, Fortnite’s cover artwork updates on a very regular basis, so going purely off of the image may result in your choosing the incorrect product.

Highlight Get and press A.

If you’ve downloaded Fortnite previously, the button will say “Install” instead.

The Fortnite download will begin. You can track its progress by pressing the glowing Xbox logo button on your controller.

Before you play, you’ll need to create an Epic Games account and connect it to your Xbox/Microsoft account.

If you’ve already set up your Epic Games account, you can open the Fortnite game on Xbox One from the My Games & Apps screen and begin playing. If you haven’t, you’ll have to create an account and link it with your Xbox One first.

An Epic Games account is required for playing Fortnite as it saves all game progress and is what makes crossplay and cross-save between the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC, and mobile versions of Fortnite possible.

Create an Epic Games Account

Go to EpicGames.com and select Sign In in the top-right corner of the screen to create a free account. This can be done in any web browser such as Edge, Brave, or Chrome on your computer. Any alternative web browser can also be used.

Log into your Epic Games account on the official website and select Connected Accounts from the left menu on your account page. Under Xbox, select Connect.

Once your Epic Games account has been created and linked to your Xbox account, you can launch Fortnite on your Xbox One. Because your accounts have already been linked via the website, the game will automatically connect you and won’t require any log in information.

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