Fortnite will return to iOS in Europe, Epic Games said on January 25. The development came as Apple was required to open iOS to sideloaded apps and third-party app stores in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which has a March 7 deadline.
According to reports, Apple is already working on improvements to its App Store, which will most likely include a separate version for Europe. Epic Games might be one of the several app shops that open in the region, and iPhone users may finally be able to play Fortnite after waiting four years.
In a post, Epic Games Store’s official handle stated that Fortnite will return to iOS in Europe this year. It also stated that the popular battle royale game will be available through the Epic Games Store for iOS. The post didn’t provide a launch date.
In a separate post, the company said, “Stay tuned for details as we figure out the regulatory timeline.” We will continue to argue to the courts and regulators that Apple violates the law.”
Fortnite will return to iOS in Europe in 2024, distributed by the upcoming @EpicGames Store for iOS. Stay tuned for details as we figure out the regulatory timeline. We'll continue to argue to the courts and regulators that Apple is breaking the law. https://t.co/MHh6EGVinC
— Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom) January 25, 2024
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney also criticised Apple’s implementation of the DMA restrictions, calling it “malicious compliance.” In a long post, he claimed that the Cupertino-based tech giant is forcing third-party app stores to take “junk fees on downloads and new Apple taxes on payments they don’t process.”
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Separately, he said that a monopoly should not be permitted to pick which companies can compete with it, following a user sharing a list of agreements Apple sought from third-party app stores before permitting them on iOS.
Fortnite was deleted from the App Store in 2020 after Apple prohibited Epic for pushing customers to make third-party in-app purchases. Epic Games subsequently filed an antitrust case against Apple. Just last week, the US Supreme Court declined the request to hear the case, culminating in a victory for the tech gaint.