Fortnite is one step closer to being fully back on mobile devices. Epic Games revealed Friday that its store app is now available on Android devices and on iOS in the EU.
This isn’t the full Epic Games Store, but it’s launching with Fall Guys for mobile, Rocket League Sideswipe, and, of course, Fortnite, with more apps to come. The storefront is also now on third-party mobile stores like AltStore PAL, and there are plans to bring it to others in the future.
Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as going to the Google Play Store or App Store and finding Epic Games through there. Android users need to search for Epic Games Store on Google or go to epic.download, which will take them to the official website with the installation link. It’s more complicated for iOS users (remember, this is in the EU only). They must follow the epic.download link above and click the install button. If the device isn’t set up to allow installations of new marketplaces yet, users will need to go into their settings and give permission. Users just need to follow the on-screen instructions, but Epic also released a tutorial video on how to do this.
An Epic spokesperson said in a press release that it isn’t happy about this complicated process, but that it’s “continuing to fight in courts” to reduce Apple and Google’s continued stranglehold on the app marketplace.
Epic Games and specifically Fortnite have been conspicuously absent from mobile devices since the publisher allowed players to purchase in-game currency directly from Epic instead of through the app stores. This went against app store policy, so Google and Apple removed it. While it’s been possible to download Fortnite on Android with the help of sideloading, it was much more difficult to do on iOS without using Xbox Game Pass or Nvidia GeForce Now in a browser.
This led to Epic going on trial against the two tech conglomerates; in both case, judges ruled that Apple and Google should allow external purchase buttons and was running an illegal monopoly, respectively. These very public trials, along with a ruling in the EU that forced Apple t, among other things, allow third-party app marketplaces on its platform, has helped Epic get back properly on mobile.
In a press release, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said that “the tide is turning” for mobile:
The tide is turning and the mobile ecosystem is finally opening up to competition. We are grateful to the European Commission for making it possible to launch the Epic Games Store and offer our games to iOS users in the European Union. Now European iOS users and all Android users can access our store and games, as they’ve always been able to do on open platforms like PC and Mac. The fight is far from over, but this is tangible progress for developers and consumers who can begin to benefit from competition and choice.
In an interview with GameFile, Sweeney also revealed that the company has lost out on around $1 billion in revenue due to these legal battles.
