Fortnite returns to iPhones in the EU after a four-year wait
Fortnite won’t be available on iPhones in the UK until late 2025, despite its recent return in the EU following a four-year hiatus.
The hugely popular ‘Battle Royale’ video game was removed from the App Store in 2020 after its developer, Epic Games, tried to bypass Apple’s payment fees.
That prompted a legal dispute and a public war of words.
However, it finally returned to the App Store in the European Union last week.
Apple is now required by law to allow iPhone users to access alternative third-party app stores to prevent big tech corps from acting as “gatekeepers” and monopolising specific markets.
The move is a win for Epic Games, which has regularly complained about the 30% commission it was forced to pay on app purchases.
Epic boss Tim Sweeney said: “Fortnite has been freed on iOS in Europe, thanks to the Digital Markets Act.”
Apple has argued that alternative app stores pose a security risk as users have to download software outside the “walled garden”.
Epic says Apple and Google have traditionally made the process difficult with “poor-quality” experiences and numerous “scare screens”.
Apple was finally forced to change tack after the Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into force in the EU in March this year.
The new legislation, designed to create a fairer, safer, and more competitive digital sector, has given game developers new capabilities.
Apple says it is now working with EU developers to ensure experiences are easy for users while protecting their privacy and security.
Unfortunately for gamers in the UK, Fortnite won’t return to these shores on iPhone until at least late 2025.