Epic Games has officially launched its mobile store, marking a significant development in the ongoing tensions between the company and the tech giants Apple Inc AAPL And Alphabet Inc’S GOOGLE Google.

This move follows four years of legal and corporate disputes that began when Epic violated Apple and Google’s terms of service in August 2020.

As a result, Fortnite, one of Epic’s most popular games, was removed from both the iPhone and Android app stores.

See also: Tencent-backed Epic Games brings Fortnite back to iPhone, this time with a full App Store after its four-year battle with Apple

“We’ve probably lost a billion dollars in the last four years because we didn’t have Fortnite on iOS,” Sweeney said during a press conference, according to Eurogamer. “But what’s the price of freedom?”

The store is now available on Android worldwide and on iPhones in mainland Europe, a development made possible by policy changes required by the European Union.

Expansion of the mobile offering

The first titles available on the Epic Games Store mobile platform include Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and a new mobile version of Fall Guys. These games are cross-platform compatible with their PC and console counterparts.

Steve AllisonVice President and General Manager of the Epic Games Store, said: “Our goal is to reach 100 million new installs on Android and iOS by the end of the year.”

However, Allison also acknowledged the challenges presented by the current app store landscape, particularly the difficulty of installing the Epic Games Store on iPhones. The process involves multiple steps and warnings that could deter casual users.

Epic is also actively working to bring third-party developers into its mobile store with the goal of expanding its offerings beyond its own titles.

See also: Google says opening its app store is expensive and too much work, judge says: “We will break down the barriers”

Continuing concerns about Apple and Google

Even as the Epic Games Store launches on mobile, the company continues to raise concerns about Apple’s practices.

Sweeney criticized Apple’s App Store fees, which he said penalize developers who want to publish their apps on both the Epic Games Store and the App Store. He called these fees “junk fees” and said they create an unlevel playing field for competitors.

Sweeney also stressed that Epic faces difficulties when it comes to competing on Apple’s platform, pointing out that, due to financial constraints, none of the top 250 developers the company has contacted have shown interest in bringing their apps to the Epic Games Store for iOS.

“Apple set these fees to not only make it significantly more expensive to do business on the Epic Games Store, but also to get penalized in the iOS App Store if you visit the Epic Games Store,” Sweeney said. “They are making their store conditions worse for the privilege of competing with them.”

The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) has prompted Apple to make some changes to allow the Epic Games Store to launch on iPhones in mainland Europe, but Sweeney believes there are still significant obstacles.

Epic Games’ future prospects

The launch of the Epic Games Store on mobile is a step forward for the company, and Sweeney remains hopeful that more markets, including the UK and Japan, will be added next year. In the meantime, Epic is expanding its distribution by making its games available on other third-party mobile stores like Altstore.

Looking back on the company’s activities over the past four years, Sweeney said, “I have no regrets, Apple needed to be challenged.” He believes Epic’s efforts have helped draw attention to the broader issues surrounding app store ecosystems and their impact on consumers and developers.

Other companies, including Microsoft, are also working on their own platforms. The terms of service of these platforms will likely play a key role in whether Epic Games joins.

“The standard for us is great conditions for all developers,” Allison said. “If (the conditions) are great, we’ll come,” Sweeney concluded. “If they’re not great, we won’t come.”

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