Epic Games announced on Thursday that its widely popular game, Fortnite, will soon be accessible on Apple’s iOS systems within the European Union, amid an ongoing legal dispute with the tech giant.
The gaming company seeks to broaden the availability of its titles beyond the official app stores of mobile device manufacturers. It has been vocal against the high commissions imposed on in-app purchases and the restriction that limits users to downloading apps solely from designated stores.
Furthermore, Epic Games declared its intention to withdraw its games from the Samsung Galaxy Store. This decision comes in response to Samsung’s move to prevent default side-loading— the process of installing applications on mobile devices without going through the official app store— on its Android devices, a practice Epic describes as “anticompetitive.”
In line with this strategy, Epic announced plans to release its mobile games through AltStore on iOS within the EU. AltStore is a third-party platform that facilitates side-loading of applications.
In addition, the company revealed it will show ‘support’ for at least two additional third-party app stores.
The Epic Games Store, the company’s digital marketplace, is also set to launch on Android worldwide and on iOS in the EU, although no specific launch timeline has been provided.
Earlier in July, Apple approved Epic Games’ marketplace application for iPhones and iPads in Europe, following an escalation of the ongoing conflict between the two companies.
Apple is currently under scrutiny for its App Store practices, particularly from EU competition regulators, who stated in June that these practices might violate the Digital Markets Act.
© Thomson Reuters 2024