Fortnite is finally returning to iPhone today, four years after the game was pulled off of iOS – collateral in Epic Games' ongoing battle against manufacturers like Apple and Google over its ecosystems which, the publisher alleges, throttle competition. There's been public arguments, legal filings, court battles – it's all a little messy. But what you really need to know is that the Epic Games Store is coming to mobile devices, albeit with some pretty large caveats.
The Epic Games Store is launching with Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and a brand new mobile version of Fall Guys – complete with crossplay support. The storefront and the games will be available in Europe on iOS and worldwide for Android users, but Apple owners in the US and UK are going to have to wait a little longer to play some of the biggest games in the world on the go.
The reason Fortnite is able to return to mobile in Europe for iPhone is the result of the European Union passing the Digital Markets Act, a law the court says is designed to ensure "fair and open digital markets." Epic claims that Apple is still blocking iOS users from outside the EU from accessing Fortnite and the Epic Games Store for iOS.
"The tide is turning, and the mobile ecosystem is finally opening up to competition," says Epic Games CEO and founder Tim Sweeney. "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. The fight is far from over, but this is tangible progress for developers and consumers who can begin to benefit from competition and choice."
"This is just the beginning of a long effort to bring our games back to all these platforms worldwide"
Tim Sweeney
Sweeney warns that the process of installing the Epic Games Store on iOS and Android isn't going to be great, because of "Apple and Google introducing intentionally poor-quality install experiences laden by multiple steps, confusing device settings, and scare screens." Fight through all of that, however, and you should find Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Rocket League waiting.
Fortnite was blocked from Apple devices in 2020 as Epic intentionally tried to bypass the App Store payment system in an attempt to swerve the "30% tax on all apps". Sweeney believes that Epic "probably lost over a billion dollars of revenue by losing access to the iOS customer base worldwide for four years – but what's the cost of freedom?"
"This is just the beginning of a long effort to bring our games back to all these platforms worldwide," he adds, "and the fight isn't over until Apple is back on iOS everywhere, and free of Apple's junk fees. But this is an awesome milestone."
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