Apple and Epic Games have been at odds for a long time, and their years-long dispute basically boils down to Epic's complaints about Apple's App Store fees. The result is that Fortnite is unavailable on Apple devices, but not for much longer.
Epic Games has just announced that Fortnite is coming to iOS devices, but not through the App Store. Instead, Epic will distribute Fortnite through AltStore, a third-party app store that launched in April.
For now, you'll only be able to get Fortnite this way if you're a resident of the European Union (EU). That's because regulatory pressure from the EU recently forced Apple to allow sideloading and third-party app stores for European users. So far, the company hasn't allowed these stores to expand elsewhere.
This latest development marks an intriguing new chapter in the battle between Apple and Epic. There is no concrete release date for Fortnite on AltStore, but it is believed that it could happen before the end of 2024.
Skydiving into iOS
Epic says it will bring Fortnite to other mobile app stores, provided they “offer a great deal to all developers.” At the same time, it said it will “end distribution partnerships with mobile stores that serve as rent collectors.” To that end, Epic said it will remove Fortnite from the Samsung Galaxy Store due to “Samsung’s anti-competitive decision to block side-loading by default.”
On top of that, Epic still has plans to bring its Epic Games Store to iOS devices in the EU. The Epic Games Store charges developers 12% for any payments it processes, and 0% for third-party payments. Apple’s App Store, on the other hand, charges a variety of fees in the EU depending on the developer’s size, the popularity of their apps, whether their apps are distributed through third-party app stores, and more.
Apple and Epic have been at odds for years, and the latest legal development has Apple coming out on top. But that hasn't stopped Epic from trying to figure out new ways to get its apps into the hands of iOS users without going through Apple's App Store. Now, it may have finally found a way.
