Epic Games is pulling out of ‘rent collector’ distribution and will bring Fortnite back to iOS in Europe

Yesterday, Epic Games unveiled a new strategy for mobile game stores, a decision prompted by new regulations in Europe as well as the company’s ongoing battle with major platforms.

The company said it was quickly approaching a quantum leap in Epic’s efforts to bring its games to players on mobile devices. If you recall, it was kicked out of app stores after filing antitrust lawsuits against Google and Apple, and the case went to court.

Meanwhile, the European Union has implemented its Digital Markets Act, which regulates what big platforms can do in terms of banning rivals like Epic from promoting alternatives. The result of this regulation could be the imminent return of Fortnite to mobile devices.

As Epic announced yesterday, Fortnite will return to iOS in the European Union, and the Epic Games Store will be available on Android worldwide and on iOS in the European Union, offering all game developers great conditions: a 12% store commission on payments processed by Epic and 0% on payments made by third parties.

We’ve announced a new strategy for bringing Epic games to mobile stores: not only to the Epic Games Store, which will launch on mobile soon, but also to other independent mobile stores that offer fair terms to all developers, including https://t.co/wX14FI47KZ.https://t.co/mp3lq3fFbc

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) July 25, 2024

And Epic said it plans to bring its own mobile games, including Fortnite, to other mobile stores that offer great deals to all developers. Epic previously said Apple was stalling on demonstrating “malicious non-compliance” with EU rules. The disputes are still ongoing.

And Epic Games said it would end distribution partnerships with mobile stores that act as “rent collectors” by not competing with each other and not serving all developers fairly, even if those stores offer us a special deal on their own games. That was a pretty cryptic statement, considering Fortnite is returning to app stores in Europe. But it’s really just a reference to Samsung, as you can see below.

Epic also said it is announcing today that Fortnite and other games will be leaving the Samsung Galaxy Store in protest of Samsung’s anti-competitive decision to block side-loading by default on Samsung Android devices and as a result of public disclosures in the U.S. Epic v Google lawsuit about Google’s ongoing proposals to Samsung to limit competition in the Android app distribution market. Google made payments to Android phone manufacturers to become the default store on their devices.

Epic said it has long been pursuing the rights of stores to exist and compete fairly on the iOS and Android platforms, and progress in this regard has been seen around the world in the form of the European DMA, similar laws in the UK and Japan, regulatory investigations around the world, and a victory in the Epic v. Google litigation in the US.

As operators of the Epic Games Store, Epic said it will use this opportunity to provide all developers with great deals on its store. And as game developers ourselves, the Epic team will do everything in its power to support other stores that are working to provide all developers with great deals of their own.

Epic is also announcing that its mobile games will be coming to AltStore on iOS in the EU, and the company expects to announce support for at least two other third-party stores soon. AltStore recently launched after complying with the Digital Markets Act in Europe.