Fortnite will finally return to iOS in Europe

Apple made significant modifications to app distribution on its iOS App Store in the EU, allowing for alternative app shops. While the move is presently only applicable to the 27 EU member nations, Epic Games is already planning a comeback for its popular game Fortnite.

Epic Games has announced that it will launch its own Epic Games Store for iOS later this year, which will include the popular battle royale game. Epic has yet to announce the official launch date for their iOS games store.

This is significant given Apple's history with Epic Games, including the removal of Fortnite from the App Store in 2020 due to violations of standards that allowed customers to evade Apple's payment system. One potential stumbling block for the upcoming Epic Games Store for iOS is that Apple will have control over third-party app stores and will need to approve Epic's request.

The new amendments under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) will also allow game streaming apps for iOS, implying that Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now will most likely be available on iOS this year.