Epic Games Store Debuts on Mobile, Fortnite Returns To iOS in EU

Epic Games launched its digital app store on iOS and Android devices on Friday, marking Fortnite's return to Apple's platform in the European Union after a four-year absence. The move follows the implementation of the EU's Digital Markets Act, which mandates Apple to allow third-party app stores. Epic's store is available globally on Android and in the EU for iOS devices running iOS 17.6 or later.

Fortnite, along with Rocket League Sideswipe and Fall Guys, are now accessible through Epic's mobile store and the EU's AltStore. This marks Fall Guys' mobile debut. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney hailed the development as "tangible progress" but noted challenges remain, including Apple's new fees for third-party app distribution. The company aims for 100 million mobile store installations by year-end and plans to offer third-party games by December, with self-publishing slated for early 2025. Epic's 88/12 revenue split model will extend to mobile, potentially disrupting the mobile gaming marketplace dominated by Apple and Google.

Re:

[Rinnon]

Yes. It's popularity may have peaked, but they still have tens of millions of players. If random google searched metrics are to be believed, there are 2 million people playing as you read this, and (!) over 200 million unique logins in the last 30 days.

Re:

[Ossifer]

Four years of lost revenue during the product's peak popularity. Hope you feel this partial Pyrrhic victory was worth it, Epic!

Re: fortnite??

[Fortnite_Beast]

Its popularity still hasn't peaked for me!

I'm 100% in favor of Android's "Scare Screens"

[dmay34]

I think Android has always done 3rd party app stores right. You CAN download any competing app store you like. It's possible, Amazon has done it for years. But to do so, you kind of need to demonstrate that you know what you are doing. I would say that 80% of people shouldn't be downloading and installing 3rd party app stores, but if you are willing to jump through the settings hoops and click "Yes" on all the scare screens, then you should be able to do what you like with your own phone.

Re:

[unrtst]

I think Android has always done 3rd party app stores right. You CAN download any competing app store you like.

And yet we have this article from just yesterday:
https://tech.slashdot.org/stor... [slashdot.org]

"... a federal jury unanimously decided that Google's Android app store is an illegal monopoly in Epic v. Google"

IE: Meanwhile, on iOS, the EU has forced them to allow for alternate app stores as the solution (and that's only available in the EU). Here in the US, the same company is claiming (and won) that Google's Android app store is an illegal monopoly, even though it DOES allow for alternative app stores.

I get it, in that

Re:

[dmay34]

I think as the monopoly laws are set right now, Google's Play Store is likely an illegal monopoly and iOS isn't. But that's because the laws were written during the early 1900s. The laws need to be updated to better consider modern online marketplaces.

Re:

[dmay34]

* in the US.

Re:

[unrtst]

I think as the monopoly laws are set right now, Google's Play Store is likely an illegal monopoly and iOS isn't.

How so?

Google play store:
* not required to ship an Android phone (ex. Amazon devices)
* can be augmented or replaced by other app stores, and there is zero fee for doing so
* devices available from many different companies, and each is allowed to customize the OS and choose whether or not to even include the play store

Apple App Store:
* Required with iOS
* No alternatives at all, outside of the EU
* In the EU, the alternatives still have to pay apple and abide by some of their rules
* Single company making all th

Re:

[dmay34]

Google play store:

not required to ship an Android phone (ex. Amazon devices)

- Must be shipped with android devices to have access to other Google services, like Maps (ex. Amazon devices do not have Google Maps)

can be augmented or replaced by other app stores, and there is zero fee for doing so

- Installing another app store by the user is a multi-step process that most (90%+) users won't do.

devices available from many different companies, and each is allowed to customize the OS and choose whether or not to even include the play store

- Again, while true, Google requires the Play Store to be installed if any other Google Apps are installed (namely Google Maps). It's basically a requirement that the Play store is installed on all phones.

Google's Play Store p

Re: I'm 100% in favor of Android's "Scare Screens"

[drinkypoo]

"Google requires the Play Store to be installed if any other Google Apps are installed (namely Google Maps). It's basically a requirement that the Play store is installed on all phones."

Google is tying here, but it's still not what you claim. I used a phone with no Google apps for over a year, you can get substitutes for everything. You can also use MicroG on unlocked devices, but that is perhaps too much to expect from users. Still, there are alternatives.

Re:

[Bahbus]

Really, if you are going to argue that iOS is a monopoly, then you would have to also argue that the Play Station is also a monopoly. As well as Tesla's infotainment system. Regardless of whether you like Tesla or not, do you really want car manufacturers to have to allow their drivers to install apps from 3rd party sources?

No, you don't. Tesla doesn't hold enough of a market presence to dictate it (so, not a monopoly). Plus, I don't want any proprietary infotainment systems with any proprietary apps in any cars - they're all somewhere between awful and terrible. iOS is monopolistic, Android is not. It doesn't matter if it's part of the sales experience, the walled garden approach equals a monopoly once you have enough of the market under your control.

Re:

[tlhIngan]

IE: Meanwhile, on iOS, the EU has forced them to allow for alternate app stores as the solution (and that's only available in the EU). Here in the US, the same company is claiming (and won) that Google's Android app store is an illegal monopoly, even though it DOES allow for alternative app stores.

I get it, in that I get that Epic is dutifully doing whatever can be done to maximize their profits, but there sure seems to be some double standards, and neither situation seems to be fully resolved.

It's not that

Re:

[unrtst]

I think you have outlined the current situation fairly well. However, that does nothing to explain the double standard.

If you pick up a Samsung phone, it seems bloated because there's a Samsung app for every Google app. Every app has a counterpart. But Samsung cannot put their apps first.

Nokia tried to put their map software first instead of Google Maps, and could not.

That's the key difference - the Apple ecosystem is all Apple, all the time. Apple doesn't make iOS available on other platforms. So you cannot make an iPhone clone just instead of using Apple Maps, you want to use Google Maps instead, because you cannot make an iPhone clone running iOS period.

Google Maps is available on iOS, but Apple Maps ships with the phone and is the maps they user will see first, and you can't remove it. I don't get how that is a defense of Apple's behavior as well as a bad mark on Google. Google is much more open so they must be even more open? WTF type of logic is that?

On Apple devices, it runs Apple software. It always runs Apple software. And Apple software only runs on Apple hardware.

Except that this is a fairy tale.
* "On Apple devices, it runs Apple software." - except

Re:

[bill_mcgonigle]

> Amazon has done it for year

Notice that Amazon got the blessing to do background updates but F-Droid cannot.

That's the heart of the matter.

Google: It's less secure!
Why?
Google: Because they don't do security updates!
Why?
Google: Because we won't let them!

Right now you have to root to get security updates.

They never expected the FTC to do its job. Oopsie.

Re: I'm 100% in favor of Android's "Scare Screens"

[drinkypoo]

"Notice that Amazon got the blessing to do background updates but F-Droid cannot."

Notice that this is false. Since Android 12 this is just a permission that an app can request.

100 million users

[SeeKay]

Quick search says about 120 million iOS and iPadOS users in Europe. Android has two thirds of the market share. How are epic going to get 100 million App Store users by year end? They are expecting 1 in 3 people to install by year end?