Epic has started development on an Epic Games Store for iOS devices, which will finally bring Fortnite back to the iPhone and other Apple devices in the near future!
The Fortnite community in Europe can rejoice because Epic Games is planning something we've all been waiting for: The return of the popular Battle-Royale game to iOS devices in the EU. This joyful news was announced by none other than the renowned Fortnite leaker Hypex on Twitter.
Fortnite Returns To iPhone At Last – But Only In The EU
In a recently published tweet, Hypex announced that Epic Games has begun developing the Epic Games Store for iOS in the EU.
Epic Games will start developing the Epic Games Store on EU iOS soon & Fortnite will come with it
— HYPEX (@HYPEX) February 16, 2024
Also The Epic Games Store in 2023 had: 270M+ Total PC Customers, 75M Monthly Users, $1b+ spent.
And its Top 5 Games were: Fortnite, Genshin Impact, RL, Dead Island 2 & GTA 5. pic.twitter.com/JqyIFY5GiH
Recently, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) of the EU legally obligated Apple to allow third parties to provide their own stores on iOS. It's clear that Epic wouldn't sit idly by before leveraging this decision for themselves.
The absence of Fortnite on iOS devices was a result of the prolonged legal battle between Epic Games and Apple, which began in 2020. Epic Games attempted to integrate its own payment methods into the iOS version of Fortnite, which violated the App Store guidelines. This led to Fortnite's exclusion from the App Store and an ongoing legal dispute between the two companies. As a result, the game was unavailable for iOS users, disappointing many players.
With the DMA, Epic can now even bypass the 30 percent share, which is the actual point of contention between both companies. However, Epic's former CEO Tim Sweeney explains that Apple could partially circumvent EU laws by still charging fees on purchases in other stores. However, this is not yet certain.
Although no exact timelines for Fortnite's return to iOS devices in Europe have been announced, the fact that Epic Games is actively working on developing the Epic Games Store for iOS is a promising sign. Players can now look hopefully towards the future and anticipate the return of Fortnite on their iOS devices.
It remains to be seen how the situation develops and, of course, whether Fortnite will also be available again on iOS devices in other parts of the world. If there are any developments on this front, we will, as always, keep you informed.