Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite, has officially launched its rival iOS app store in the European Union. The Epic Games Store is also being introduced on Android devices globally.
The app store is debuting with popular games such as Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys. Epic Games is collaborating with developers to bring more games to the Epic Games Store in the future.
Additionally, Epic Games is supporting the independent mobile store AltStore PAL, which announced yesterday that its app store would be available for free thanks to a grant from Epic Games. In the coming months, Epic Games plans to bring its games to Aptoide’s iOS store in the EU and ONE Store on Android.
Fortnite’s return to iOS comes over four years after Apple initially removed the game from its App Store. This follows years of legal battles between the two companies and regulatory changes brought by the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which is forcing Apple to open up to new competitors.
“The tide is turning and the mobile ecosystem is finally opening up to competition,” said Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. “We are grateful to the European Commission for making it possible to launch the Epic Games Store and offer our games to iOS users in the European Union. Now European iOS users and all Android users can access our store and games, as they’ve always been able to do on open platforms like PC and Mac.”
Epic Games has published tutorials to guide users through the process of installing the Epic Games Store on iOS and Android. However, the company notes that due to intentional barriers introduced by Apple and Google, the installation process is currently lengthy and involves multiple steps, confusing device settings, and scare screens.
The launch of the Epic Games Store marks a significant challenge to Apple’s App Store dominance, as it is the first time the tech giant is facing a notable rival in the mobile app market.
