The mobile version of the games sales platform ‘ Epic Games Store “Fortnite” by Epic Games has been released for Android and iOS, and since August 2020 the mobile version of “Fortnite” has been distributed for the first time in four years. However, the iOS version is only available within the EU.
Mobile version of the Epic Games Store launched – Epic Games Store
https://store.epicgames.com/ja/news/epic-games-store-available-now-on-mobile
Epic Newsroom – Epic Games
https://www.epicgames.com/site/ja/news/the-epic-games-store-launches-on-mobile
Rebelling against the App Store and Google Play’s practice of collecting “15% to 30% of revenue as commission” for third-party apps, Epic Games, which publishes popular games such as “Fortnite,” introduced a method in August 2020 to charge for the mobile app version of “Fortnite” without using the App Store. However, both Apple and Google removed “Fortnite” from their respective app stores, saying it was a violation of their terms of service. In response, Epic Games filed suit against Google and Apple for antitrust violations.
“Fortnite” developer Epic Games sues Apple – GIGAZINE
The litigation lasted about three years, and in December 2023, a federal district court in California ruled in favor of Epic Games, finding that “Google had created an anti-competitive market through its App Store.”
California court rules in favor of Epic Games in antitrust lawsuit against Google – GIGAZINE
Meanwhile, the appeals court in the case against Apple ruled in April 2023 that “the App Store should not prohibit links to external payment systems,” but Apple’s claims were upheld in nine of the ten lawsuits Epic Games was not satisfied with this ruling and appealed to the Supreme Court, which, however, dismissed Epic Games’ lawsuit and made the appeals court’s ruling final.
The US Supreme Court rejects Epic Games’ request for an immediate decision in the Apple v. Epic Games appeal – GIGAZINE
However, in the EU, the Digital Markets Act has come into force and Apple has allowed the operation of alternative third-party app stores. This means that Epic Games can now operate its own app store and distribute apps in the EU, but only within the EU.
iOS 17.4 will finally release alternative app stores to comply with EU regulations, but Apple warns – GIGAZINE
Apple has repeatedly rejected Epic Games’ requests for the iOS version of the store, but reportedly accepted the request shortly after Epic Games announced it would appeal to the European Commission.
After repeatedly rejecting Epic Games’ application for a third-party mobile app store, the “Epic Games Store”, Apple suddenly accepted it and the return of Fortnite to the iPhone came closer – GIGAZINE
As a result of this trend, Epic Games is now finally able to distribute the mobile version of the Epic Games Store on both Android and iOS. The mobile version of the Epic Games Store app can be downloaded worldwide, including Japan, for Android and only within the EU for iOS.
Epic Games stated that “downloading the Epic Games Store requires a number of steps that Apple and Google have intentionally designed to make it more difficult to download competing app stores and apps,” and posted a video with instructions on how to install the Epic Games Store.
Learn how to install the Epic Games Store on Android – YouTube
The following video shows how to install the iOS version of the Epic Games Store within the EU.
Learn how to install the Epic Games Store on iOS in the EU – YouTube
At the time of writing, only three titles, “Fortnite,” “Fall Guys,” and “Rocket League Sideswipe,” are available for download from the mobile version of the Epic Games Store, but in the future, third-party game apps will also be available for download. In addition, “Fortnite,” “Fall Guys,” and “Rocket League Sideswipe” will be distributed not only on the Epic Games Store, but also on other third-party app stores.
Epic Games announces it will distribute Epic Games titles like Fortnite in developer-focused third-party app stores – GIGAZINE
“The tide is turning and the mobile ecosystem is finally opening up to competition,” said Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games. “We are grateful to the European Commission for allowing us to launch the Epic Games Store and make our games available to iOS users in the European Union. Now iOS users in Europe and Android users worldwide can access our store and games in the same way they do on open platforms like PC and Mac. The battle is not over, but this is a huge step forward for developers and consumers, who can benefit from more competition and choice.”
