Epic Games Store Launches on iPhone in EU, Brings Fortnite Back to iOS

After a four-year absence, Fortnite is making its return to iPhones – but only for users in the European Union. This comeback is part of the broader launch of the Epic Games Store for iPhone, which went live today in the EU.

epic games store
The return of Fortnite to iOS comes as a result of the EU's Digital Markets Act, which has forced Apple to allow third-party app marketplaces on its platform. Users in the EU can now download the Epic Games Store by visiting Epic's website on their iPhones.

Fortnite's availability is undoubtedly the headline feature of the Epic Games Store launch. The popular battle royale game was removed from the App Store in 2020 following a dispute between Epic and Apple over in-app purchase systems. Prior to that, Fortnite on iOS made more than $700 million over two years, while Apple collected more than $100 million in revenue from the 30 percent cut that it took from Fortnite in-app purchases.

Otherwise, the current game catalog in the iOS Epic Games Store is limited, featuring only a handful of Epic's own titles such as Fortnite and Rocket League Sideswipe. However, the company says it plans to expand the library over time and is in discussions with third-party mobile developers.

Going forward, Epic will have to deal with navigating Apple's new fee structure, including a "Core Technology Fee" of €0.50 per install per year after the first million installs. This fee applies to both the Epic Games Store itself and the games within it, effectively doubling the charge for popular titles like Fortnite. The EU commission is currently investigating whether Apple's new fee structure complies with the Digital Markets Act.

The Epic Games Store is only available on iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, while iPad users will have to wait until the release of iPadOS 18 to access the store on their devices. Epic says it plans to expand the availability of its store to other regions where regulations permit, with Japan slated for a 2025 launch. The company has set a goal of reaching 100 million mobile downloads of its store by the end of the year, made up of combined game installs across both iOS and Android.

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Top Rated Comments

WarmWinterHat Avatar
12 months ago

Epic is a company that markets to the bottom of society.

Congrats on winning I guess, Sweeney. Your company will be irrelevant in 5 years!
I'm not a gamer by any definition and have never played anything produced by Epic, and even I know this a dumb take.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nugat Trailers Avatar
12 months ago
Do the Macrumors editors know that other games exist beyond Epic and Fortnite?
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ctrlos Avatar
12 months ago

Innovations will happen outside of the the EU.
The only thing that causes innovation is competition. Apple should be looking to make the App Store more enticing to developers rather than beating them with a stick for leaving.

You only need look at the stagnation in OS development caused by the iOS/Android duopoly to see what I mean. Their last big competitor was Windows Phone. This caused Apple to drop skeuomorphism and Android to finally tidy up what was a very messy OS. They were shaken by a competitor and we all benefited. Every OS 'innovation' from them both in the last decade has just been whatever they could pick from the carcass of WebOS.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ashdelacroix Avatar
12 months ago
Apple wanted to take a 30% cut. Many found that greedy. Now they are forced to host third-party app stores. Apple won't regret the billions it has made in the meantime, but it means their platform has become regulated in ways that make future innovations in exclusivity all but impossible.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ZigmundFreud Avatar
12 months ago
In other news, Epic Game Store charge mobile app developers 30% of their apps purchase price to be sold through their game store, causing the EU policy gurus to enforce Epic to allow games stores within their games store.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
12 months ago

Innovations will happen outside of the the EU.
They haven't been for a while now. Why would now be any different?

Smartphone "innovation" is all but dead, Apple isn't innovating, Google isn't innovating, Samsung isn't innovating.. Oh AI? wooohoo..there are a dozen apps you can download today that will do the same thing.. :rolleyes:

And on iOS, no innovation by 3rd parties unless you bow before Apple and kiss the ring.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)