Big news for European gamers! According to a new blog post, Epic Games has secured its Apple Developer Account and plans to launch the Epic Games Store for iOS in Europe this year. This marks a significant development after the game's removal in 2020 due to a dispute with Apple's App Store policies.
What's the story?
The return is largely attributed to the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to create a more fair and competitive digital market. The DMA includes rules that could impact Apple's control over its App Store, paving the way for Fortnite's return.
What to expect:
EU-only launch: For now, the return is confirmed for the EU only. Whether and when Fortnite might return to the App Store elsewhere remains to be seen.
Possible changes: The specific details of how Fortnite will be available on iOS in the EU are still being determined. It's possible things might look different compared to the pre-2020 version.
Important notes:
No specific date yet: While 2024 is the target, an exact launch date hasn't been announced. Stay tuned for further updates!
Just last month, Apple announced that it wanted $73 million from Epic Games for legal reimbursements.
Epic Games’ blog post breaks down the 2023 year in review, and it was certainly a big year. Fortnite expanded with the addition of Fortnite Festival and Rocket Racing.
Both of these modes are proving successful thus far, and Fortnite Festival already has an excellent Riffmaster guitar controller.
Most recently, the core Fortnite game also featured a big collaboration with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Just last week, Disney also announced a massive team-up with Epic Games. Disney invested $1.5 billion in a new Fortnite universe.
During an earnings report, Disney revealed it “will bring together Disney’s beloved brands and franchises with the hugely popular Fortnite in a transformational new games and entertainment universe”.
Disney’s major investment is a remarkable milestone for Epic Games, and the new universe could expand with countless IPs.
Today’s blog post also mentions plans for a new Download Manager, improvements to Offline Mode and social features, and more.