In a hard-fought victory for Epic Games and mobile gamers, Fortnite is finally plotting its comeback to iOS devices in the United Kingdom. After a years-long legal battle with Apple, a transformative new UK law is paving the way for the hit battle royale’s return to iPhones and iPads in the latter half of 2025.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act grants British regulators new powers to promote competition and consumer choice in digital markets currently dominated by tech giants like Apple and Google. Critically, the Act requires companies to allow third-party app stores on their platforms, opening the floodgates.
Seizing the opportunity, Epic revealed plans to not only re-release Fortnite on iOS via its own Epic Games Store app, but to also bring the EGS’s full catalog of games and services to iPhones and iPads across the UK starting in late 2025. This breaks Apple’s longstanding monopoly on iOS app distribution.
“We’re delighted the UK’s forward-thinking laws will allow consumers access to the games they love from the store of their choice in 2025,” said Steve Allison, General Manager of the Epic Games Store. “Players everywhere deserve a truly level playing field when it comes to accessing games on any device.”
The pending return marks a stunning turnaround from Fortnite’s bitter banishment from Apple’s ecosystem in 2020. That removal came after Epic implemented a direct in-game payment system to bypass Apple’s 30% commission on transactions – a move Apple claimed violated App Store policies.
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What followed was a protracted legal slugfest, with Epic portraying Apple as a monopolistic gatekeeper stifling competition and consumer choice. Apple countered that its policies protect user security and privacy.
While the US courts ultimately ruled in Apple’s favor, the decision galvanized regulators in Europe and the UK to take legislative action limiting the tech heavyweight’s market dominance. The UK’s DMCC was among the first to strike, empowering its Competition and Markets Authority to enforce new rules on companies deemed to hold “strategic market status.”
While the exact criteria are still to be determined, Epic and other developers are poised to leverage the law’s new open distribution requirements, ending Apple’s iOS app store exclusivity. Several major EU legislation packages are likely to follow suit across the continent over the next few years as well.
For UK mobile gamers who have been locked out of the Fortnite phenomenon, the prospect of rejoining the battle royale next year is welcome news – and a tantalizing glimpse at a future of greater platform access and choice.
“Families deserve options for accessing premier gaming experiences, not a one-size-fits-all mandate,” said Allison. “Today’s victory belongs to the players as much as Epic. We couldn’t be more excited to get Fortnite back on iOS in the UK, with many more amazing games to follow.”
