In the State of Unreal, Epic Games announced that the Epic Games Store will be available on iOS and Android later this year, which means Fortnite is finally coming back to the iPhone!
For over 3 years, Epic and Apple have been locked in a legal battle, resulting in Fortnite being unavailable on Apple devices for quite some time. But that's finally changing, as the Fortnite company has announced that the Epic Games Store is coming to iOS and Android devices later this year!
Apple vs. Epic: What Has happened So Far
For those unaware of the kindergarten quarrel between Apple and Epic, here's a brief summary:
In August 2020, Apple revoked Epic's Fortnite developer account, blocking the distribution of Fortnite on its devices after Epic deliberately bypassed the contractually mandated App Store payment mechanisms in its Fortnite iOS app—a move Apple has since labeled as "intentional breach of contract." This led to a massive back-and-forth, with Fortnite even launching a complete "Free Fortnite" campaign against Apple!
The dispute even reached the Supreme Court! Now, the DMA steps in to bring Fortnite back to the iPhone.
Epic Games Store Coming To iOS And Android Later This Year
In the recently held State of Unreal, Epic Games discussed its Fortnite plans for the future. They not only revealed that UEFN for Battle Royale and the first person mode for Fortnite Creative are coming, but also that the Epic Games Store will be available on iOS and Android devices later this year.
The Epic Games Store on mobile will have the same 88/12 revenue split as the PC store, which is significantly less than the 33% fees imposed by Apple on apps.
This is made possible by the Digital Markets Act (DMA) of the EU, which legally obligates Apple to allow third parties the option to provide their own stores on iOS.
Given this, it is also expected that the Epic Games Store will only appear on iOS within the EU and therefore on the iPhone.
The launch of the Epic Games Store on iOS and Android devices is planned for late 2024, but no exact date has been set.
Nevertheless, players are excited to finally be able to play Fortnite on the iPhone without any detours! As always, we'll keep you updated on this matter.