Epic Games has said it’ll launch its Games Store and Fortnite on iOS in the UK next year.
News of a UK general election pushed through a new competition law, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, faster than expected. In short, the law is a little like the EU’s Digital Markets Act, and is designed to force tech giants like Apple and Google to open themselves up to greater competition.
The passing of the law prompted Epic to confirm it’ll be launching its Epic Games Store, complete with flagship game Fortnite, on iOS in the UK next year.
“Shoutout to the UK for passing a new competition law,” Epic said on X through its @FortniteGame account. “Epic Games Store and Fortnite are coming to iOS in the UK in the second half of 2025.”
Also on X, Epic boss Tim Sweeney added: “#FreeFortnite status: Now returning to UK in 2025! Returning to EU in 2024. The battle rages on to lift Apple’s digital Iron Curtain from the US, Australia, Japan, Korea, Brazil, and the rest of the free world.”
“Mr. @tim_cook, tear down this wall!”
Epic Games reacted in a similar way in the run-up to the EU’s Digital Markets Act going into effect earlier this year. In January, Apple revealed its new terms for developers planning to run an alternative app store on iOS in the EU, a list of measures designed to satisfy the incoming DMA laws.
On the same day, Epic posted on X that it would be launching its Games Store and Fortnite in the EU later this year. It also namechecked the EU’s Digital Markets Act for “making this possible”, adding: “Apple, the world is watching.”
But as ever with Apple and Epic, there was additional drama: in March, Apple terminated Epic’s developer account the day before the EU’s Digital Markets Act was set to come into effect. In letters between Apple exec Phil Schiller and Epic boss Tim Sweeney, cheekily released by Epic, Schiller accused Epic of not being trustworthy enough to follow Apple’s developer guidelines, having deliberately breached them before.
“Your colorful criticism of our DMA compliance plan, coupled with Epic’s past practice of intentionally violating contractual provisions with which it disagrees, strongly suggest that Epic Sweden does not intend to follow the rules,” wrote Schiller.
Epic said in response: “Apple is retaliating against Epic for speaking out against Apple’s unfair and illegal practices, just as they’ve done to other developers time and time again”.
A few days later, after a firestorm of online criticism and public pressure from the EU, the tech giant reinstated Epic Games Sweden’s account. Epic later re-confirmed its intentions to release its Game Store and Fortnite in the EU by the end of 2024.
