Apple and Epic Games have long been at each other’s throats, with their years-long dispute essentially boiling down to Epic’s complaints over Apple’s App Store fees. The upshot of this is that Fortnite has been unavailable on Apple devices – but not for much longer.
Epic Games has just announced that Fortnite will be coming to iOS devices after all, but not via the App Store. Instead, Epic will distribute Fortnite using AltStore, a third-party app marketplace that launched in April.
Right now, you’ll only be able to get Fortnite this way if you’re a resident of the European Union (EU). That’s because EU regulatory pressure recently forced Apple to allow sideloading and third-party app stores for European users. So far, the company hasn’t permitted these stores to spread anywhere else.
This latest development marks an intriguing new chapter in the Apple versus Epic battle. There’s no solid launch date for Fortnite on AltStore, but it’s thought it could happen before the end of 2024.
Parachuting onto iOS
Epic says it will bring Fortnite to other mobile app stores, provided they “give all developers a great deal.” At the same time, it said it will be “ending distribution partnerships with mobile stores that serve as rent collectors.” To that effect, Epic said it will remove Fortnite from the Samsung Galaxy Store due to Samsung’s “anticompetitive decision to block side-loading by default.”
As well as that, Epic still has plans to bring its Epic Games Store to iOS devices in the EU. The Epic Games Store charges developers 12% for any payments it processes, with 0% charged on third-party payments. Apple’s App Store, on the other hand, charges a variety of fees in the EU depending on a developer’s size, the popularity of their apps, whether their apps are distributed through third-party app stores, and more.
Apple and Epic have been at loggerheads for years, with the latest legal development seeing Apple mostly coming out on top. But that hasn’t stopped Epic trying to unearth new ways of getting its apps into the hands of iOS users without going through Apple’s App Store. Now, it might have finally found a way.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
