Fortnite is coming back to iOS (in Europe)

A mixed reaction from Epic Games after the announcement of numerous changes that Apple will make to the App Store in early March in the European Union. For gamers, the good news is that Fortnite will return to iOS later this year.

It is still difficult to understand the scope of Apple’s announcements regarding the App Store and its future development in the European Union. Mandated by the Law on Digital Markets (DMA), whose provisions come into effect on March 7, manufacturers must authorize alternative app stores for the iPhone.

Read App Store Revolution: Apple authorizes alternative stores (and it changes everything)

This means that publishers who wish to do so will be able to distribute their own stores on the iPhone in the form of an app that users can download from their website. Apple has put several safeguards in place, including this one: only developers with a million dollar credit line will be authorized to offer their stores.

As a result, it is the biggest publishers who will be able to claim their own app store. And this includes Epic Games, which announced the 2024 arrival of the Epic Games Store on iPhone in the European Union… and so Fortnite. Battle Royale has not been distributed in the Apple Store since summer 2020, after Epic attempted to forcefully integrate its own payment system.

The case ended up in American courts and even the US Supreme Court, which decided not to get involved.

Read Supreme Court ends Epic Games vs. Apple case, who wins?

But all is not rosy for Epic. On the one hand, the opening of the iOS ecosystem only concerns the EU, and Apple will do its best to prevent DMA from spreading. And then Epic boss Tim Sweeney isn’t happy with Apple’s compliance plan.

He hurts

that developers are forced to choose between exclusive distribution with the App Store and accepting all of the store’s terms,” Which would be illegal as per DMA “, or accept” The new competing system, which is also illegal, is full of new unnecessary fees on downloads and doesn’t deal with the new Apple tax on payments (which Apple “

Studio Manager discusses the new Core Technology Fee that will apply to all apps distributed in the App Store and alternative stores. App developers with more than 1 million annual downloads will have to pay €0.50 for each first installation of the app. For a publisher like Epic who will inevitably exceed this threshold, this risk represents a hell of a sum!

However, the European Commission still has a say in Apple’s terms, and this fee could become a bone of contention.

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