Epic Games says Fortnite is returning to iOS in the EU, leaving Samsung’s app store

2 minutes of reading Last updated: Jul 26, 2024 | 11:11 AM IST

Video game company Epic Games said Thursday that its popular title “Fortnite” will soon return to Apple’s iOS systems in the European Union, following a long-running legal battle with the iPhone maker.

Epic is seeking to expand the distribution of its games beyond smartphone makers’ official app stores, objecting to high commissions on in-app payments and limiting users to downloading apps through dedicated stores.

The company also said its video games would disappear from the Samsung Galaxy Store in protest of the phone maker’s decision to block default sideloading — installing apps on a mobile device without using a dedicated app store — on Android devices, calling it “anti-competitive.”

In the same vein, Epic said its mobile games will come to AltStore on iOS in the EU. AltStore is a third-party store that allows side-loading.

Epic said it also intends to “support” at least two other third-party stores.

The company’s marketplace, the Epic Games Store, will also be available on Android worldwide and iOS in the European Union. No timeline was given.

Apple approved the Epic Games Marketplace app for iPhones and iPads in Europe in early July, after Epic escalated its dispute with the tech giant.

The iPhone maker also faces intense antitrust scrutiny over its App Store practices, with EU competition regulators saying in June they violated rules from the Digital Markets Act.

First published: Jul 26, 2024 | 11:11 AM IST