Fortnite returns to the App Store after more than 3 years

Fortnite will soon be available again through the Apple App Store, thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This will happen by March this year at the latest.

The dispute between mobile game publishers and Apple and Google reached an unprecedented peak in 2020. The problem was that every time a user buys a mobile application or an add-on within it, mobile game publishers had to pay a 30% commission to Apple and Google, which, of course, is not to everyone's liking. While many game publishers remain silent, Epic Games has decided to put an end to this and has started an open "war" against Apple and Google.

At Epic Games, they approached the matter in such a way that they gave users of their popular game Fortnite a 20 percent discount on in-game purchases, while at the same time introducing their own payment system, with which payments are made directly. The company Epic Games violated the rules of both online stores (App Store and Google Play), so the mobile version of the game Fortnite was easily removed from them.

Since the Android mobile operating system is open source, mobile users did not have too much trouble removing Fortnite from the Google Play Store. They were able to install it manually, namely through a dedicated application from Epic Games. However, users of Apple mobile devices did not have to do this, as iOS prevents the installation of applications that are not part of the Apple App Store.

This is about to change for European users of Apple smartphones and tablets. Fortnite will once again be available for them via the Apple App Store, thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This ensures that equal competitive conditions and legal security for companies will be established on the market, and that the rights and interests of European citizens will be protected. Including access to mobile games.

It is currently unknown when exactly European users will actually be able to download the popular mobile game Fortnite to their Apple mobile devices. This will definitely happen once in March this year. Apple announced that it will include all requirements of the DMA Act in the upcoming mobile operating system iOS 17.4.