The Fortnite mobile app just made its iOS return and it’s an epic comeback that had seemed impossible for a brief few years. The European Union’s Digital Markets Act has been stirring up a storm ever since it was introduced in May 2023 as a way to combat the monopoly of tech giants and make the digital sector fairer and more regulated. 

Among other things, the DMA had challenged Apple’s decision to charge a high tax and maintain a tight hold on what was and was not allowed on their app store. One example of the company’s dominance was the removal of Fortnite and the termination of Epic’s developer account. Granted that Apple had only banned Fortnite due to Epic’s blatant attempts to bypass the payment systems the company had in place, it was still a significant move that opened up the conversation on App Store regulations.

Now that Apple’s over-regulation and “gatekeeping” have been snapped in half in the region, the latest Fortnite EU mobile update suggests that instead of merely bringing the app back, an Epic Games Store iOS launch is here to introduce the “first-ever game-focused, multi-platform store” on Apple devices. As for Android, the Epic Games Store platform will be available globally and not just in the EU.

Fortnite EU mobile update

Image: Epic’s Fortnite and Marvel collaboration

Fortnite Mobile iOS Return Confirmed—The Tides Are Turning

As Fortnite returns to the iPhone, many users are celebrating the return of a much-loved game after its expulsion four years ago, back in 2020. Others who don’t particularly care about the game are also celebrating because it marks a new step forward for third-party developers who just want a way to bring their services to smartphones without facing the many hurdles and taxes that Apple and Google place in front of them.

The Fortnite mobile iOS return does not mean that the game is directly available on the App Store. If you want to experience what Epic Games has to offer on your iPhone, you have to go to your Safari browser and find the download link to have access to the store. Once you download the Epic Games Store platform, you can pick the games you want to download and play, and this includes Fortnite. Users in the EU can also get Fortnite through the AItStore, which is another third-party digital storefront.

Epic Games’ decision to skip bringing its games to the App Store and PlayStore is a very intentional and obvious snub to the two companies, but it is also representative of the company’s desire to grow its own store in a space where other companies have not been able to yet. The Mac and PC versions of the app have been around for a while and contain an expansive catalog of games, some designed in-house and others by other developers. 

According to IGN’s coverage of the Epic Games Store iOS launch, other mobile developers who choose to use their platform will be offered the same 88/12 revenue split as before, as well as other incentives that will make it more lucrative to bring in mobile games via their services. 

Fortnite returns to iPhone

Image: Fortnite

Epic Games Store’s iOS Launch Brings Fall Guys to Mobile for the First Time

The Fortnite mobile app’s iOS return is heartwarming all on its own, but Epic Games has sweetened the deal further with the announcement that Rocket League Sideswipe and Fall Guys will also be available on mobile. Fall Guys was first released in August 2020 and never made it onto mobile platforms, despite having become available on other consoles by 2022. This move should open up the doors to an entirely new category of gamers who want to experience the popular game.

Rocket League Sideswipe is already available on mobile but by August 23, it will be removed from Google Play and the App Store in the EU. Gamers who want to give it a shot will have to seek it out through the Epic Games Store launching on iOS and Android. If you already have the game on your device from the Google Play Store, you should still go ahead and delete and redownload it so you can keep updating it and playing online.

The Return to iOS And Android Has Not Been Smooth

The process to access the Epic Games catalog on your iPhone and Android devices still involves quite a few steps as Apple and Google haven’t exactly made it easy to download apps from outside their own stores. These precautions are essential to maintain device safety and ensure no unwanted services make it onto the device by mistake but Epic isn’t too happy about the lengthy procedure. 

They state that the download process for the game is a lengthy one “due to Apple and Google introducing intentionally poor-quality install experiences” but at the end of the day, a win is a win and the Fortnite mobile app’s iOS return is a bigger victory than the company could have expected just a year or two ago. The gaming company confirmed that Fortnite’s return to the iPhones in the EU is just the start and that they are “working with regulators around the world to get the Epic Games Store available on iOS in other locations in the future.”

The Epic Games Store iOS launch was only possible due to pressure from the EU but its DMA regulation can only control what happens within the region. Apple does not appear to be ready to cave in and allow the EU changes to expand beyond its borders like it did with the shift to USB-C so Epic may have to fight more battles to make Apple meet them halfway and allow for them to bring the Fortnite EU mobile updates globally. 

tagged in Epic Games on iPhone, Epic Games Store iOS launch, Fortnite EU mobile update, Fortnite mobile iOS return, Fortnite returns to iPhone
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