Epic Games’ popular battle royale title ‘Fortnite’ is gearing up for its highly anticipated return to iOS devices shortly. This development is a direct outcome of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is set to become effective on March 7, 2024.
For the uninitiated, Fortnite has been absent from the Apple app store for over three years now. The absence of the game on iOS devices stemmed from Epic Games’ legal battle with Apple. Fortnite was ousted from the iOS App Store in August 2020, while Epic Games faced a ban for introducing unauthorized third-party in-app payments.
However, the European Union’s decision to authorize alternative storefronts on iPhones implies that Fortnite can return to the iOS lineup without the requirement to share a portion of its microtransaction revenue with Apple.
It’s also crucial to note that developers are still required to compensate Apple for hosting their games on iOS.
“Fortnite is coming back to iOS in Europe this year!,” Epic Games confirmed in a Tweet. “Via our soon to launch EpicGames store for iOS thanks to new rules in Europe via the new Digital Markets Act (DMA), stay tuned for more details.”
For now, this change only impacts iPhone users in the European Union. Unfortunately, players from the U.S., UK, and everywhere else may still not have access to the Fortnite iOS app.
