The Epic Games Store’s next free title has been announced.
Fortnite Is Coming Back to iOS in Europe This Year via Epic Games Store; Sweeney Criticizes Apple’s DMA Plan
25.01.2024 - 23:30 / wccftech.com / Tim Sweeney / Alessio Palumbo / Ios
Fortnite is coming back to iOS this year, at least in Europe, Epic Games announced today. It will do so by taking advantage of the Digital Markets Act law passed by the European Union, which will let the Epic Games Store on iOS.
There have been workarounds to play Fortnite on iOS (such as using GeForce NOW through the Safari browser), but other than that, as you certainly remember, Fortnite was banned from iOS in August 2020, after Epic Games attempted to introduce direct payments that would bypass Apple's 30% cut on every single microtransaction occurring on iOS. Epic was ready for it, of course, and had also prepared a lawsuit that dragged on for years, ending when the Supreme Court of the United States denied both companies' appeals earlier this month.
Related Story OLED Orders For The Upcoming iPad Pro Reportedly Dropped By 30 Percent, As Apple Taking Precaution About Initial Demand
Apple mostly won the lawsuit, although it lost on one count (anti-steering provisions). However, in the European Union, it will have to comply with the DMA law. Still, Epic Games founder and majority stakeholder Tim Sweeney believes they are concocting a 'devious plan' of 'malicious compliance'. Here's what he wrote today on Twitter:
They are forcing developers to choose between App Store exclusivity and the store terms, which will be illegal under DMA, or accept a new also-illegal anticompetitive scheme rife with new Junk Fees on downloads and new Apple taxes on payments they don't process.
Apple proposes that it can choose which stores are allowed to compete with their App Store. They could block Epic from launching the Epic Games Store and distributing Fortnite through it, for example, or block Microsoft, Valve, Good Old Games, or new entrants.
The Epic Games Store is the #7 software store in the world (behind the 3 console stores, 2 mobile stores, and Steam on PC). We're determined to launch on iOS and Android and enter the competition to become the #1 multi-platform software store, on the foundation of payment competition, 0%-12% fees, and exclusive games like Fortnite.
Epic has always supported the notion of Apple notarization and malware scanning for apps, but we strongly reject Apple's twisting this process to undermine competition and continue imposing Apple taxes on transactions they're not involved in.
Notably, Epic will continue to argue to courts and regulators that Apple is breaking the law. In related news, Tim Sweeney was recently able to celebrate a resounding win against Google in a similar lawsuit.
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
wccftech.com
09.02.2024 / 09:43
Games Industry to Become Even More Concentrated; Pure-Play Companies Will Be Challenged, But Hits Like Palworld Will Still Occur
It's not even the end of January yet and the games industry has already announced layoffs for several thousand employees, showing that 2024 could be even more problematic than the already troublesome 2023 in this regard. We reached out to MIDiA Research Senior Analyst and Strategy Director Karol Severin to discuss the state of the games industry in this post-pandemic, high-inflation environment.
videogameschronicle.com
26.01.2024 / 19:01
The next free Epic Games Store title has been confirmed
The Epic Games Store’s next free title has been announced.
thesixthaxis.com
26.01.2024 / 18:01
IOS 17.4 will allow sideloading & third party app stores in EU – Epic Game Store incoming
Apple has announced that iOS and iPadOS 17.4 will introduce support for developer app sideloading and third party app stores in the EU, complying with the incoming Digital Markets Act (DMA). But there’s an awful lot of caveats to this, with the iPhone maker determined to keep as much control and make this as awkward, fussy, and costly as possible.
digitaltrends.com
26.01.2024 / 16:15
Fortnite is coming back to iOS, but Epic Games still isn’t happy about it
Fortnite is set to come back to iOS in Europe sometime in 2024. This will mark the first time a natively running version of Fortnite will be available on iOS since Apple removed the game from the App Store in 2020.
thegamer.com
26.01.2024 / 12:53
Fortnite Will Return To iOS "Later This Year", But Only In Europe
Fortnite will return to Apple devices in some regions "later this year", as new EU regulation combats Apple's ability to compel developers to use its app store. This follows more than three years of conflict between Apple and Epic Games, after the Fortnite developer was booted from iOS for setting up its own systems to avoid paying Apple's cut of each in-game purchase.
wccftech.com
26.01.2024 / 10:35
Apple to Finally Enable Game Streaming Services on iOS
Apple has finally decided to allow game streaming services on iOS. The news came yesterday with a press release where Apple highlighted that the change came about due to developers' feedback.
engadget.com
26.01.2024 / 04:55
Epic Games confirms Fortnite is coming back to iOS in Europe this year
Following Apple's announcement of enabling third-party app stores for iOS users in the European Union, Epic Games confirms that it'll be bringing Fortnite back to the iPhone and iPad in Europe later this year — by way of a new Epic mobile games store. This will mark the title's official return to Apple's platform since it was yanked back in August 2020, after Epic offered discounts to payments made directly to its own store, instead of Apple's App Store and Google Play which would take a 30-percent cut. iOS users have had to rely on Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce Now to play Fortnite, but this will soon be a thing of the past for those based in Europe.
techcrunch.com
26.01.2024 / 03:03
Fortnite and the Epic Games Store are coming to iOS in Europe
Four years after leaving iOS, Fortnite is coming back — but only European players will be dropping in this time.
gamesindustry.biz
25.01.2024 / 23:31
Apple to allow alternative app stores in Europe
Beyond its new policy allowing game streaming apps worldwide, Apple today announced new changes it is making to comply with the European Union's Digital Markets Act, most notably that it will allow alternative app payments and app stores.
thesixthaxis.com
25.01.2024 / 23:31
IOS 17.4 will allow sideloading & third party app stores in EU – Epic Game Store incoming
Apple has announced that iOS and iPadOS 17.4 will introduce support for developer app sideloading and third party app stores in the EU, complying with the incoming Digital Markets Act (DMA). But there’s an awful lot of caveats to this, with the iPhone maker determined to keep as much control and make this as awkward, fussy, and costly as possible.
eurogamer.net
25.01.2024 / 23:03
Fortnite returning to iOS says Epic as Apple agrees to "alternative app marketplaces" in EU
Fortnite maker Epic Games says it'll be launching a native iOS version of the Epic Games Store — and bringing Fortnite back to iOS devices — following today's announcement that Apple will soon allow sideloading and alternate marketplaces on its devices to comply with new EU rules. That's as Epic boss Tim Sweeney calls Apple's revised guidelines «hot garbage».