Fortnite returns to the App Store after more than 3 years

Fortnite will soon be available again through the Apple App Store, thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This will happen by March this year at the latest.

The dispute between mobile game publishers and the companies Apple and Google reached an unprecedented peak in 2020. The problem was indeed in that every time a user buys a mobile application or an add-on within it, the publishers of mobile games had to deduct a 30% commission from Apple and Google, which of course is not to everyone's liking. While many game publishers are praying, Epic Games has decided to put an end to this, so they have started an open "war" against Apple and Google.

At Epic Games, they approached the matter in such a way that they provided users of their popular game Fortnite with a 20 percent discount on in-game purchases, and at the same time introduced their own payment system, with which payments are made directly. Epic Games violated the rules of both online stores (App Store and Google Play), so the mobile version of Fortnite was easily removed from them.

Since the Android mobile operating system is open source, mobile device users did not have too much trouble removing Fortnite from the Google Play online store. They were able to install it manually, namely through a dedicated application from Epic Games. Users of Apple mobile devices did not have to do this, as iOS prevents the installation of applications that are not part of the Apple App Store.

This is about to change for European users of Apple smartphones and tablets. The Fortnite game will indeed available to them again through the Apple App Store, thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This purposeÄ guarantees that equal competitive conditions and legal security for companies will be established on the market, and that the rights and interests of European citizens will be protected. Including access to mobile games.

It is currently unknown when exactly European users will actually be able to download the popular mobile game Fortnite to their Apple mobile devices. This will definitely happen once in March this year. Apple is indeedÄ announced that it will include all requirements of the DMA Act in the upcoming iOS 17.4 mobile operating system.