After a four-year absence following its ban from the iOS App Store, Fortnite has made a triumphant return to iOS devices, exclusively in the European Union. This relaunch coincides with the debut of the new iPhone variant of the Epic Games Store and a presence on AltStore PAL, another third-party app store. The Epic Games Store also celebrated its launch for Android users worldwide today, introducing a major challenger to the app stores offered by Apple and Google – which have been considered to be monopolistic.
The reintroduction of Fortnite on iOS is the product of prolonged legal battles between Epic Games and Apple, influenced heavily by recent mandates from the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which compels Apple to permit alternative app stores. This marks a significant loosening of Apple’s tightly controlled ecosystem.
“The tide is turning and the mobile ecosystem is finally opening up to competition. We are grateful to the European Commission for making it possible to launch the Epic Games Store and offer our games to iOS users in the European Union. Now European iOS users and all Android users can access our store and games, as they’ve always been able to do on open platforms like PC and Mac,” said Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney.
“The fight is far from over, but this is tangible progress for developers and consumers who can begin to benefit from competition and choice.”
In addition to Fortnite, the Epic Games Store has made other games available, like Rocket League Sideswipe and the first mobile iteration of Fall Guys, which are accessible to European iPhone users and Android users globally.
The launch has not been without friction. Earlier in the year, Apple suspended an Epic developer account and labeled the firm “verifiably untrustworthy,” a criticism likely rooted in previous disagreements over Fortnite’s in-app payment system.
Despite only having a trio of first-party games currently, Epic’s mobile store plans are ambitious, aiming for a curated assortment of third-party games by December and introducing self-publishing options by early 2025, which are already available on PC.
