The Epic Games Store will be coming to iOS in Europe thanks to provisions in the European Union (EU)'s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The move was announced on Twitter / X, where the Epig Games Newsroom account stated: "We are bringing more opportunities to developers across all platforms, and we’re so excited about what’s to come.… including bringing the Epic Games Store to iOS in Europe."
For those not in the know, Epic Games famously took Fortnite, its flagship battle royale game, off the App Store back in 2020 in response to Apple's policy of charging up to 30% commission on sales (via BBC).
Commenting on the Epic Games Store's impending arrival on iOS, Epic's CEO and founder Tim Sweeney stated on Twitter / X: "I'll be the first to acknowledge a good faith move by Apple amidst our cataclysmic antitrust battle, in granting Epic Games Sweden AB a developer account for operating Epic Games Store and Fortnite in Europe under the Digital Markets Act."
As Sweeney suggests, Epic Games Sweden AB, the Swedish arm of Epic Games, will operate the Epic Games Store in Europe.
The official Fortnite Twitter / X account announced the game's return earlier this year. However, the arrival of the Epic Games Store en masse to iOS sparks a step up from this initial announcement.
I'll be the first to acknowledge a good faith move by Apple amidst our cataclysmic antitrust battle, in granting Epic Games Sweden AB a developer account for operating Epic Games Store and Fortnite in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. https://t.co/ocOdMReXh1February 16, 2024
Passed in 2022, the DMA is an important piece of regulatory law in the EU that aims to manage the influence of "gatekeeper" tech companies and firms (via BBC). The intention behind the law is to force industry giants like Google and Apple to "open up" their platforms and services to other companies and developers.
It's worth noting, however, that the Epic Games Store will not be available on iOS in the UK for the time being. That said, the UK's Digital Markets Bill could well see similar provisions to those afforded by the DMA brought in for iOS users in the UK. The Bill is currently being debated in Parliament, but, if passed, could give Epic scope to make similar moves outside of the EU.
Want to see what's going on in the console world? Check out our lists of the best Xbox Series X games, best PS5 games, and best Nintendo Switch games.
