Fortnite Is Returning To iOS In Europe Thanks To Newly Enforced Digital Markets Act

The Epic Games vs. Apple legal drama isn’t quite over yet as it moves on to an epilogue of sorts that will see the return of Fortnite to iOS devices in Europe.

As part of the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) of 2022, big tech companies are now being given until March 7th to comply with the regulations set forth in what Reuters describes as one of the toughest pieces of legislation in the world. The DMA specifically targets the largest tech companies in the world (called gatekeepers), namely: Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Byte Dance (TikTok).

“The Digital Markets Act aims at preventing gatekeepers from imposing unfair conditions on businesses and end users and at ensuring the openness of important digital services,” the European Commission explains.

Some of the changes that the so-called gatekeepers will need to implement include giving end users the ability to easily uninstall pre-installed applications or stop them from installing altogether by default. They’ll also need to ensure that smaller companies and businesses have access to ad campaign data and pricing information, provide interoperability options for messenger systems, and allow developers to use alternative in-app payment systems.

The latter of course is what sparked the Epic vs. Apple and Google feud way back in August 2020. In an attempt to bypass both companies’ 30% cut on in-app purchases (IAPs), Epic discreetly added a direct payment button in Fortnite which resulted in the mobile game’s delisting from Apple and Google’s respective storefronts.

In response, Epic filed separate antitrust lawsuits against Apple and Google which took the better part of three years before the rulings came down. The US District Court of California partially ruled in favor of Apple as it dismissed Epic’s claims of monopolistic practices but forced Apple to allow alternative in-app payment options. Both parties appealed the ruling with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the US Supreme Court, both of which dismissed the appeals and enforced the district court’s ruling.

Google, however, was found guilty of monopoly and in violation of antitrust laws, the penalties and concessions for which have yet to be decided on.

The highly publicized legal feuds led to the creation of the Digital Markets Act which came into force in November 2022 but will only be enforced to its full extent starting in March, paving the way for Fortnite Mobile’s return to the App Store in Europe.

“Remember Fortnite on iOS? How bout we bring that back,” Epic tweeted. “Later this year, Fortnite will return in Europe on iOS through the Epic Games Store (shoutout DMA — an important new law in the EU making this possible). Apple, the world is watching.”