Highlights

  • Epic Games plans to relaunch Fortnite and the Epic Games Store on iOS in the EU within the next couple of months.
  • Fortnite's return to iOS is possible due to the European Union's Digital Markets Act, which requires platform holders like Apple to allow third-party app stores.
  • Fortnite was the highest-grossing game in Q1 2024, generating significant revenue for Epic Games.

Epic Games, the developer and publisher of Fortnite, has shared an update regarding the upcoming return of the game's mobile version to Apple iOS. The company's free-to-play title remains extremely popular, and Fortnite continues to regularly collaborate with major brands and IPs.

In 2020, Apple removed Fortnite from the iOS App Store after Epic Games added its own payment system to the title, a move that violated the platform's guidelines. Since then, iPhone and iPad users have been unable to update and install Fortnite on their devices. Those on iOS were only able to play the game by using workarounds that involved the streaming services Xbox Cloud Gaming, Nvidia Geforce Now, and Amazon Luna. However, Epic Games said in January that Fortnite was set to return to iOS devices in the European Union (EU), and the company has just announced that this could happen very soon.

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Epic Games plans to launch Fortnite and its own storefront, the Epic Games Store, on iOS in the EU within the next couple of months, the company recently claimed in a Twitter statement. It was revealed in March that the Epic Games Store would come to iOS and Android devices in 2024, but no exact release date was provided at the time.

When Will Fortnite Return to iOS in the EU?

  • Possibly within the next months.

Apple previously terminated an Epic Games developer account that the latter company had intended to use to bring Fortnite and its storefront to iOS devices in the EU. Epic Games argued that the termination violated the coalition's Digital Markets Act (DMA), and Apple later reinstated the account following an inquiry by the European Commission. Under the DMA, platform holders like Apple must permit third-party app stores to exist in their operating systems, and Epic Games credits the law with allowing Fortnite's return to iOS in the EU.

According to Epic Games' latest statement, both Fortnite and its storefront have been submitted to Apple for their required notarization processes. Epic Games hopes to bring its other titles to more mobile app stores, and it wants to talk with stores that offer great terms to all developers. Apple charges a 30% fee for paid apps and in-app purchases on iOS, while the Epic Games Store, which is currently only available on PCs and Macs, takes a 12% revenue cut. The Epic Games Store has yet to turn a profit, Epic Games admitted in November.

Fortunately for Epic Games, Fortnite alone is generating a lot of money for the company. The free-to-play experience was the highest-grossing game in the first quarter of 2024, research and analytics firm Newzoo found.