Fortnite Will Return To iOS "Later This Year", But Only In Europe

thegamer.com:

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.

We don't have an exact date for Fortnite's return, but it's been announced on the official Twitter account, so Epic is clearly feeling confident about its chances. The regulations will make it so that alternative app stores will be available on iOS from March onwards, so Fortnite could return to Apple products very soon.

"Later this year Fortnite will return in Europe on iOS through the Epic Games Store," reads the announcement. "Shoutout DMA - an important new law in the EU making this possible. Apple, the world is watching."

DMA refers to the Digital Markets Act, which aims to curb the dominance of tech giants, stopping them from closing off their services to other companies. This would extend to Apple's practice of forcing all of its users and developers to go through its own app store, meaning that once an app was not allowed on the store, its users would generally not be able to access it.

This was exactly what happened with Fortnite. Once it was removed from the Apple app store, iPhone and iPad users could not legitimately download and play the online shooter. While Epic isn't getting re-added to the app store, the DMA would make it so it can release the Epic Games Store on Apple products, which in turn, will make Fortnite available once again.

Since this is only possible thanks to the new regulation, this move won't apply to European countries that aren't members of the EU. This includes the UK, but possibly not for long, as it has its own Digital Markets bill in the works, pending approval. If this is passed, then like its EU counterpart, it would allow Fortnite to release on Apple productions