- Fortnite is finally coming back to iPhones but only in the EU.
- It will be available through a new Epic Games Store.
- Fortnite isn’t launching in other markets though.
Fortnite developer Epic Games has been at loggerheads with Apple for years now over the iPhone maker’s strict rules against third-party sources. Fortnite was removed from the Apple App Store in 2020 due to the introduction of a third-party payment system. Both companies have been in a legal battle since but now with the EU’s crackdown on Big Tech, Fortnite will be making its way back to iPhones.
But this good news is limited only to the EU region as other countries including India isn’t getting Fortnite yet. There’s no word on when and if Fortnite will be back for iPhones in countries outside the EU.
Fortnite coming back on iPhone this year
- Fortnite’s return to iOS will not be through the App Store but through a new Epic Games
Store for iOS, the company announced on X. The release date hasn’t been announced yet but it’s coming this year. - The regulatory timeline is to be figured out yet so once that’s confirmed, the release date for Fortnite on iOS should be announced as well.
- EU’s crackdown on Big Tech companies like Apple will now require the very exclusive brand to open up its platforms to third-party sources. This is however only for iOS now and not for iPadOS so Fortnite won’t be making it to iPads.
Apple has very strict policies about third-party sources especially for services like app subscriptions, which require payments to be made only through Apple. It was forced to move to USB-C ports for universal charging as well, and introduced it with the iPhone 15 series as a result of EU’s new rules and regulations.
Epic Games didn’t reveal anything about Fortnite launching in other countries but it seems like the company isn’t going to back down from its fight with Apple. “We’ll continue to argue to the courts and regulators that Apple is breaking the law,” Epic said in its X post.
