Fortnite To Return To iOS In This County As Epic Games-Apple Dispute Continues: All You Need To Know

Epic Games has also announced that it will pull its games from Samsung Galaxy Store. Read on to find out why.

Epic Games announced on Thursday that Fortnite, the highly popular online battle royale, will soon be available again on Apple's iOS platforms in the European Union. This development comes in the midst of an ongoing legal struggle with Apple over app store policies, reported Reuters. The US-headquartered gaming giant has been actively seeking to distribute its games outside of official app stores, challenging the high commissions imposed on in-app purchases and the restriction of app downloads to official stores.

No More Epic Games On Samsung

In a related move, Epic Games revealed that it will be withdrawing its games from the Samsung Galaxy Store.

This decision comes in protest of Samsung's stance on preventing side-loading, which is the installation of apps without using the official app store, on Android devices. Epic described this move by Samsung as "anticompetitive."

Available On AltStore

Epic also announced plans to make its mobile games available on AltStore for iOS users in the EU. AltStore is a third-party app store that facilitates side-loading. Additionally, Epic hinted at extending support to at least two other third-party stores, although specific details were not disclosed.

The Epic Games Store, the company's digital marketplace, will also expand to Android devices globally and to iOS within the EU. However, the company has not provided a specific timeline for this rollout.

Apple Facing EU Scrutiny

Earlier in July, Apple had approved the Epic Games Store app for iPhones and iPads in Europe, following a period of heightened conflict between the two tech companies.

Apple is also facing significant antitrust scrutiny from EU regulators. In June, EU competition authorities declared that Apple's App Store practices violate the Digital Markets Act.