Fortnite to Return to UK iPhones via Epic Games Store
Epic Games announces Fortnite’s return to iOS in the UK by late 2025, riding the wave of the country’s new digital market laws.
Fortnite is officially making its way back to British iPhones. Epic Games has confirmed plans to launch its own digital storefront on iOS in the United Kingdom, bringing the wildly popular battle royale game back to local Apple users. It ends a multi-year exile that began when Apple kicked the game off its App Store back in 2020.
This massive shift is not happening because Apple had a sudden change of heart. Instead, it is the direct result of brand-new British legislation designed to rein in Silicon Valley’s biggest tech gatekeepers.
The Law That Opened the Gates
The catalyst for Epic’s return is the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act, which recently became UK law. Much like the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, this legislation targets tech giants designated as having "strategic market status." The goal is to stop monopolistic behavior, promote fair competition, and give mobile users more choice over where they get their apps.</p
For Apple, this means the end of its absolute monopoly on iOS app distribution in the UK. The law forces the tech giant to allow rival app marketplaces on its devices. Epic Games was incredibly quick to seize the opportunity.
"We are planning to bring the Epic Games Store and Fortnite to iOS in the UK in the second half of 2025," Epic Games announced in a public update. The developer expressed gratitude to the UK government, noting that the new legislative framework paves the way for a much fairer mobile ecosystem.
A Bitter and Long-Running Feud
To understand why this is such a major milestone, you have to look back to August 2020. That summer, Epic Games introduced a direct payment system inside Fortnite. This system bypassed Apple’s official in-app purchasing mechanism, avoiding Apple’s hefty 30% commission. Apple retaliated instantly, pulling Fortnite from the global App Store and sparking a massive public relations and legal war.
What followed was a bitter, multi-year legal struggle. Epic sued Apple in various countries, accusing the iPhone maker of anti-competitive practices. While US courts largely sided with Apple on key antitrust claims, regulators in Europe and the UK took a completely different path. They chose to use legislation to force open closed mobile platforms.
In the EU, Epic has already taken advantage of these new legal realities. The company launched its own store and brought Fortnite back to European iPhones earlier this year. Now, the UK is next on the list.
What Lies Ahead for British Players
While the DMCC Act is now law, British gamers will still have to wait a little while. The UK’s antitrust regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), must first complete its formal review process. The watchdog needs to officially designate Apple as a dominant digital firm and draft the specific, enforceable rules the company must follow.
Epic expects this regulatory process to take some time, which is why they are targeting the second half of 2025 for the actual launch. Once the store goes live, the installation process will look different from what Apple users are used to. Instead of searching the official iOS App Store, players will need to download the Epic Games Store directly from a web browser.
Apple is expected to implement various security checks and warning prompts for sideloaded apps. In the EU, Epic has criticized these extra steps as "malicious compliance" designed to scare off users. However, the CMA has significant teeth under the DMCC Act. The regulator can fine non-compliant companies up to 10% of their global turnover, giving the UK government plenty of leverage to keep Apple in check.
The Broader Impact on Mobile Gaming
This move is about much more than just a single game. By establishing its own store on iOS, Epic aims to invite other developers to distribute their games through its platform. Epic offers a far more generous revenue split, taking only a 12% commission compared to Apple’s traditional 30% cut.
Apple has consistently defended its closed ecosystem, arguing that third-party stores pose severe security and privacy risks to consumers. The iPhone maker maintains that its rigorous App Store review process is the only way to keep devices safe from malware and scams. Epic, on the other hand, insists these safety claims are merely excuses to protect a highly profitable monopoly.
As other countries watch how the UK and EU regulatory experiments play out, the pressure on Apple to open up globally will only grow. For now, British mobile gamers can finally look forward to boarding the battle bus on their iPhones once again.
