Epic Games plans to bring its Epic Games Store to the iPhone and the iPad under Apple’s new alternative app store policy in the European Union, Epic Games announced today.
The Epic Games Store will include popular game Fortnite, which means iPhone and iPad users will be able to install and play the title without having to use a cloud gaming service. Fortnite has been banned from the iOS App Store for the last several years due to the legal dispute between Apple and Epic Games.
Fortnite will return to iOS in Europe in 2024, distributed by the upcoming @EpicGames Store for iOS. Stay tuned for details as we figure out the regulatory timeline. We’ll continue to argue to the courts and regulators that Apple is breaking the law. https://t.co/MHh6EGVinC
— Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom) January 25, 2024
Even as Epic is planning for an Epic Games app store on iOS, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has been criticizing Apple’s planned changes. Sweeney said that Apple’s App Store changes are a “devious new instance of malicious compliance” and are aimed at thwarting the Digital Markets Act.
Apple’s plan to thwart Europe’s new Digital Markets Act law is a devious new instance of Malicious Compliance.
They are forcing developers to choose between App Store exclusivity and the store terms, which will be illegal under DMA, or accept a new also-illegal anticompetitive…
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) January 25, 2024
Apple is charging an 0.50 euro fee per user per year for apps installed outside of the App Store, but there are no App Store commissions or in-app fees. While Apple is waiving fees for the first one million installs, the 0.50 per user fee will cost app developers like Epic Games a notable amount of money. Sweeney called Apple’s payment “junk fees.”
Sweeney also criticizes Apple for the notarization process that will potentially allow it to reject alternative app stores from iOS. He claims that Apple could block Epic from launching an Epic Games Store and distributing Fortnite through it, but there have been no signs that Apple would do so.
Epic Games is “determined” to launch on iOS and compete with the App Store, said Sweeney, and while Epic Games is planning for a store on iOS, the company says it will continue to “argue to the courts and regulators that Apple is breaking the law.”
Popular Stories
Apple Releases watchOS 10.3 With New Watch Face
Apple today released watchOS 10.3, the third major update to the watchOS 10 operating system that was released in September. watchOS 10.3 comes over a month after watchOS 10.2, a major update that brought Health data access to Siri. watchOS 10.3 can be downloaded for free through the Apple Watch app on an iPhone running iOS 17 or later by opening it up and going to General &…
New iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air Models Likely to Launch in March or April
Apple plans to release new iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air models in the spring this year, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Based on this timeframe, the devices could be released as early as this March or April. After the devices are released, he said attention will shift to Apple’s annual developers conference WWDC in June. Below, we outline rumored features and expectations for…
Apple Releases tvOS 17.3
Apple today released tvOS 17.3, the third major update to the tvOS 17 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 17.3 comes over a month after tvOS 17.2, an update that brought the revamped Apple TV app. tvOS 17.3 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the Apple TV. Go to System > Software Update to get the new software. Apple TV owners who have automatic software…
iPhone 7 Users in U.S. Could Receive Up to $349 Payment From Apple
Apple last year agreed to pay $35 million to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit alleging that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were prone to audio issues due to a defective chip in the devices, and it has now started notifying eligible customers by email. You may be eligible for a payment from Apple if you are a U.S. resident who owned an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus between September 16, 2016…
Here’s What Apple Vision Pro’s Huge Box Looks Like
Apple’s Vision Pro headset comes in a very large box that uses the company’s typically distinctive design language, MacRumors has seen. Render of the Apple Vision Pro box based on official materials. The packaging, seen by MacRumors in an Apple employee training video, mirrors the design used across many of its other devices that come in boxes that slide open from the top. Those hoping for…
Apple Releases Updated Firmware for First-Generation AirPods Pro and AirPods 2
Apple today introduced a new firmware update for the first-generation AirPods Pro and second-generation AirPods. The new firmware is the same 6A321 version that was released for the third-generation AirPods last week and is up from the 6A300 firmware introduced last September. Apple’s AirPods firmware updates often do not come with details on new features, so it is unclear what might be…
iOS 17.3 Available This Week With These New Features and Changes
In its press release unveiling a new Black Unity Sport Band for the Apple Watch, Apple confirmed that iOS 17.3 will be released this week. The software update will likely be available later today. Update: It is out. New features and changes for the iPhone in iOS 17.3 include Stolen Device Protection, collaborative Apple Music playlists, a Unity Bloom wallpaper for the Lock Screen, and…