After four years, Epic Games’ Fortnite is returning to iPhones in the European Union and worldwide on Android devices.
As Fortnite’s Chapter 5 Season 4 kicks off with the Marvel-themed “Absolute Doom” battle pass, players will be able to jump in on mobile devices. Epic’s ability to launch Fortnite on iPhones in the EU stems from the new Digital Markets Act (DMA) law, according to a press release from the company.
“We are really grateful to the European Commission for not only passing the DMA and enabling store competition, but also going in and robustly holding Apple and Google’s feet to the fire to ensure that they can’t just obstruct competition,” Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said.
In 2020, Epic was effectively banned from the iPhone App Store and Google Play Store for violations of each respective guideline. Epic Game launched its Epic Game Store, effectively side-stepping Apple and Google’s policies that demand a 30 percent cut on in-app purchases, including V-Bucks.
Alongside the return of Fortnite, Epic is bringing back its Epic Games Store platform to iPhones in the EU and Android devices globally. The store will include access to Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and the brand-new mobile version of Fall Guys. Epic is also working with developers to launch their games and apps through the Epic Games Store. By December, Epic aims to have a selection of third-party games on the mobile store.
Starting today, Epic is launching its games on AltStore PAL for iOS users in the EU. The goal is to also bring its titles to Aptoide’s iOS store in the EU and ONE Store on Android.
Epic currently has a 75 million monthly active user base on PC. At the time of its ban, Epic had 116 million users on Apple devices. According to a Game File report from Stephen Totilo, Epic CEO Tom Sweeney claims that the company may have missed out on as much as $1 billion in Fortnite revenue throughout the four years.
The company has also been at the forefront of legal disputes between Apple and Google. Since 2020, the company has spent hundreds of millions in antitrust claims against the two tech giants.
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