Fortnite left the App Store in 2020 after a strong dispute over the implementation of a microtransaction purchase system in violation of Apple’s store policies. This led to the expulsion of the game from the App Store. In fact, Epic Games took Apple to a trial that is still pending today. However, everything could change throughout 2023 after the entry into force of the new Law on Digital Markets of the European Union. This law would force Apple to allow the installation of apps and games from different app stores and apparently the CEO of Epic Games takes for granted the arrival of Fortnite back to the iPhone.
The EU Digital Markets Law would allow the return of Fortnite to the iPhone
The Fortnite controversy in the App Store began, as we have said, in August 2020 after the implementation of a virtual currency purchase system that violated App Store policies. These policies were in relation to the 30% commission from any in-app purchase that goes directly to Apple. From this moment, Epic Games and Apple were locked in serious accusations with several sentences pending. In fact, Apple will not modify any aspect until the sentence is final.
From that moment on, different ways to play Fortnite arose but none directly from Epic Games, since Apple had unilaterally banned the game from the App Store. However, this could change with the advent of the European Union Digital Market Law.
The arrival of alternative stores to iOS and iPadOS would be the key
This new law entered into force on January 2, 2023 and its objective is none other than regulate the behavior of large companies that operate in the European digital market. One of the main objectives is none other than force the App Store to be more transparent, In addition to the introduction of new rules to prevent discrimination and abuse of dominant position by companies like Apple in the digital market.
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No Fortnite on the App Store until the judgment is final
Other measures include Apple’s obligation to allow application developers to use alternative payment platforms to the App Store. This is it: other app stores coming to iOS and iPadOS.
And the arrival of new installation platforms for external applications to the App Store They make Epic Games in luck because it could mean the official return of Fortnite to iPhone. This is how the CEO of the company celebrated it on his Twitter account:
—Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) January 1, 2023
However, not everything will be as easy as they paint it from Epic Games. The arrival of these alternative stores could mean new rules from Apple as an exhaustive control of applications that could have an additional cost that all developers would have to assume and another series of aspects that would have to do with the security and privacy of users. We will finally see how all this ends, but it does not seem that Cupertino is very happy with this new movement of the European Union, but it does have to abide by it in order to continue in the digital market of this territory.