Battle royal video game Fortnite is making a highly anticipated return to iPhones, but this time exclusively for users in the European Union, after a four-year hiatus. This revival comes as part of the broader launch of the Epic Games Store for iPhone, which has officially gone live in the EU.
The Impact of the EU's Digital Markets Act on Fortnite's Return
Fortnite's reappearance on iOS is a direct result of the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), a new regulation that has compelled Apple to allow third-party app marketplaces on its platform. Thanks to this legislation, users in the EU can now download the Epic Games Store directly from Epic's website on their iPhones, marking a significant shift in the mobile app ecosystem.
The availability of Fortnite is undoubtedly the most important aspect of the Epic Games Store's launch. The popular battle royale game was originally removed from the App Store in 2020 due to a high-profile legal dispute between Epic Games and Apple over in-app purchase systems.
Before its removal, Fortnite on iOS had generated over $700 million in revenue over two years, with Apple taking a substantial share of more than $100 million through its 30% commission on in-app purchases.
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Limited Game Catalog at Launch with Plans for Expansion
While Fortnite headlines the launch, the current game catalog in the iOS version of the Epic Games Store is relatively limited.
At present, it features only a few of Epic's own titles, including Fortnite and Rocket League Sideswipe, according to MacRumors. However, Epic Games has expressed its intentions to expand the library significantly over time and is already in discussions with third-party mobile developers to bring more content to the platform.
Navigating Apple's New Fee Structure
As Epic moves forward with the relaunch of Fortnite and its other titles on iOS, it faces the challenge of navigating Apple's newly implemented fee structure. This includes a "Core Technology Fee" of €0.50 per install per year after the first million installs, which applies to both the Epic Games Store and the individual games within it.
For popular titles like Fortnite, this could effectively double the cost, raising questions about the long-term financial impact on developers and the viability of the store under these conditions.
The European Commission is currently investigating whether Apple's new fee structure aligns with the Digital Markets Act's requirements.
Availability and Future Expansion Plans
As of now, the Epic Games Store is only accessible on iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later. iPad users, however, will need to wait until the release of iPadOS 18 to gain access to the store on their devices.
Epic has ambitious plans to expand the availability of its store to other regions where regulations permit, with Japan targeted for a 2025 launch. The company aims to achieve 100 million mobile downloads of its store by the end of the year, driven by combined game installs across both iOS and Android platforms.
The return of Fortnite to iPhones in the EU marks a significant milestone in the ongoing battle between Epic Games and Apple.
Enabled by the EU's Digital Markets Act, this comeback not only reintroduces one of the world's most popular games to iOS users but also challenges the status quo of app distribution on Apple devices.
Before this, Apple rejected Epic Games' request to launch the third-party app store in Europe for iOS twice. Later on, the iPhone maker approved this operation.
