The war for access to Epic Games titles – including Fortnite, Fall Guys and Rocket League Sideswipe – on mobile has heated up, and gamers have new options: The company announced Friday that it is rolling out its Epic Games Store globally on Android devices, and is providing users with instructions on how to install it on iOS devices in Europe, where Apple cannot block installation.
The game maker, which has been at loggerheads with Apple for years over App Store fees and restrictions, is now making good on a promise it made earlier this year to bring its Epic Game Store to iPhones in Europe after Apple backed down from its ban in the region. Europe has stricter competition and privacy laws for tech companies than the US, and that has opened the door for Epic to offer its game store there.
However, the process isn’t as simple as finding the Epic Game Store in Apple’s App Store. You’ll need to go through a multi-step process to get it on your iOS devices. Epic Games has released a YouTube video showing how to do it.
Epic is also making its game store available on Android devices worldwide, but complained in its announcement that both iOS and Android platforms are cumbersome for users. (The company has also been in a legal battle with Google over its handling of the Play Store.)
“Currently, the Epic Games Store installation process on iOS and Android takes a long time because Apple and Google intentionally introduce substandard installation experiences that involve multiple steps, confusing device settings, and scare screens,” Epic said. “We continue to fight in court and work with regulators around the world to remove the anti-competitive terms Apple and Google impose on developers and consumers so we can build a better store for everyone.”
In addition to these launches, Epic Games offers its mobile games on the AltStore PAL platform, a games store available for iOS devices in European countries, and plans to launch on Aptoide’s iOS app in Europe and the One Store for Android, as well as other third-party stores.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the product launch.
