Years after being struck down App Store and after a long legal dispute, Epic Games will finally publish ‘Fortnite‘ in the iOS store andl July 28th. At least, this is what emerges from the information that the technology company has shared on social networks. A note where it assures that the Epic Games Store would have finally undergone one of the last processes that remained to be activate the resource in the store. According to the company, The Battle Royale has also passed the certification process necessary to return to the platform. At least initially, it should only be published in Europe.
Digital Markets Act
The European Union has begun requiring smartphone manufacturers to allow alternative stores to operate on their devices. However, Epic Games has already made it clear that it does not intend to stop in Europe and in the same message states that its next steps include bringing the videogame back to iOS in the United States as well, as well as integrating its titles into various stores that operate in the mobile environment.
Status update on our mobile plans:
DONE:
✅ Submitted the Epic Games Store and Fortnite to Apple for their required notarization process.
IN PROGRESS:
◻️ Launch! Targeting the next couple of months for the store and Fortnite on iOS in the EU.
◻️ Bring our games to other mobile…
— Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom) June 28, 2024
Although Epic Games cannot be considered the winner in the legal battle it is waging against Manzanathe owner of ‘Fortnite’ has benefited from important fights. According to the “Digital Markets Act” governed by the European Union, system owners must not only be open to alternative stores, they must also support different payment accesses. In other words, an application that is available on the App Store or Google Play, can offer a payment method that is not linked to the platforms that host them. In the case of the creator of the iPhone, this has generated new problems, such as the implementation of additional fees and routes that harm those who use these third-party payment methods.
Problems for independent stores
Among those criticising this policy is Epic Games itself, which in March of this year filed a new lawsuit against its rival. According to its lawyers, Apple is acting in bad faith when it comes to complying with court orders, once again abusing its position of power to harm competitors and owners of alternative stores. The complaint also claims that the Cupertino firm has made the process of using these payment methods or accessing content through third parties as complicated as possible. According to the software company’s CEO, Tim Sweeney, it takes up to 15 steps to download an application using the new method imposed.
Specifically, Epic Games’ lawyers are asking the court to hold Apple accountable for “failing to properly comply with a court order to open its App Store to external payment options.” Apple, on the other hand, claims that the court order has been complied with and that developers are now allowed to introduce alternative payment options. It also alleges that developers can now “communicate with customers through touchpoints voluntarily obtained through in-app account registration.” With this measured move, it seems that the video game developer is willing to expand the scope of its own dispute to an entire sector. We’ll see how it turns out.