NewYork (Business Emerge), August 17: Epic Games has officially reintroduced its popular multiplayer shooter game, Fortnite, to iPhones across the European Union, as well as to Android devices globally, after a four-year absence. This move follows recent EU legislation that has opened the door for Epic Games to make this comeback, the company announced on Friday.
Originally launched in 2017 by Epic Games, a U.S.-based developer backed by China’s Tencent, Fortnite quickly became a sensation with its “battle royale” mode, attracting millions of devoted players worldwide. However, in August 2020, Fortnite was removed from Apple and Google’s app stores due to Epic’s introduction of a direct payment system, which violated the platforms’ guidelines. This action sparked several legal disputes, particularly around the tech giants’ practice of charging up to 30% in commission fees.
Despite having amassed 116 million users on Apple’s platform alone at the time of the ban, Fortnite’s presence was abruptly halted. The recent implementation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) has now allowed Epic to relaunch its game store within the European Union, though Apple continues to block access to Fortnite outside of Europe.
Epic Games’ CEO, Tim Sweeney, expressed his gratitude towards the European Commission for its decisive actions. “We deeply appreciate the European Commission for not only passing the DMA but also ensuring that Apple and Google are held accountable for their actions against fair competition,” Sweeney remarked. “Their attempts to hinder our progress were significant, yet the European Commission consistently intervened to support market competition.”
With this relaunch, Epic’s store will feature Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and a new mobile version of Fall Guys, with plans to collaborate with other developers to expand their offerings. Epic, which already boasts 75 million monthly active users on its PC platform, anticipates gaining an additional 100 million mobile users by year’s end. These games will also be accessible through independent mobile stores, such as AltStore.