The Return of Fortnite on iOS: A Game-Changing Move

Fortnite, the popular battle royale game developed by Epic Games, is set to make a comeback on iOS devices in Europe this year. The re-entry is made possible by the implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by the European Union, granting Epic Games the ability to operate its own app store on iOS.

Previously, there were workarounds to play Fortnite on iOS, such as using the GeForce NOW service through the Safari browser. However, the game was banned from the App Store in August 2020 after Epic Games attempted to introduce direct payments that bypassed Apple’s 30% commission on in-app transactions. Epic Games was prepared for this battle and even filed a lawsuit that spanned several years, culminating in a recent dismissal of both parties’ appeals by the United States Supreme Court.

While Apple mostly emerged victorious in the legal proceedings, albeit with a setback regarding control provisions, it will now have to comply with the DMA within the European Union. Nevertheless, Tim Sweeney, the founder and majority shareholder of Epic Games, believes that these companies are devising a “sinister strategy” of “malicious compliance.” In a recent tweet, he stated:

“They’re forcing creators to choose between having access to the App Store and abiding by their rules, which is against the DMA, or accepting a new, also illegal, anti-competitive scheme of additional charges for downloads and new Apple taxes on payments they do not process.”

Apple proposes that it can decide which stores can compete with the App Store. They could potentially block Epic Games from launching the Epic Games Store and distributing Fortnite through it, for example, or block other major players such as Microsoft, Valve, Good Old Games, or new market entrants.

The Epic Games Store ranks as the seventh most popular software store in the world when considering console stores, mobile stores, and Steam for PC. The company is determined to launch the Epic Games Store on iOS and Android and compete to become the most popular software store across multiple platforms, leveraging competition in the payment arena, with commissions ranging from 0% to 12%, and exclusive games like Fortnite.

Epic Games has always supported the notion of Apple’s notarization and scanning for malicious software in applications. However, they strongly reject Apple’s distortion of this process to limit competition and impose additional charges on transactions they are not involved in.

It’s worth noting that Epic Games will continue to argue in courts and with regulators that Apple is violating the law. In related news, Tim Sweeney recently celebrated a spectacular victory against Google in a similar legal battle.

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The source of the article is from the blog mivalle.net.ar