The ban on Fortnite will be lifted for iPhone users in these countries: what you need to know

For those familiar with Fortnite, the game faced a ban on the Apple App Store in 2020 due to a payment disagreement between Epic and Apple. As a result, Epic Games was banned from placing popular eSports titles on iOS. However, the game is expected to return to iOS, especially for users living in EU countries.

This development stems from Apple’s compliance with Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations required by the European Union. As a result, starting with iOS 17.4 in March this year, iPhone users in EU countries will soon have the option to access alternative app stores, rather than relying solely on the App Store to download apps and games.

Epic Games has announced via an official post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that Fortnite is coming back to iPhones.

“Remember Fortnite on iOS? How do we get him back?” Fortnite handle posted. It says, “Fortnite will return to iOS in Europe via the @EpicGames Store later this year (shout out to the DMA – an important new law in the EU that makes this possible). @Apple, the world is watching.”

In another post, it further said, “Stay tuned for details as we explore the regulatory timeline. “We will continue to argue in courts and regulators that Apple is breaking the law.”

Last year, Epic Games won a lawsuit against Google, in which Epic said Google maintained an illegal monopoly on its App Store. The court found that Google had de facto established a monopoly over its Play Store and Google Play billing service. The jury also found that Google’s anti-competitive monopoly was used to harm Epic. However, Epic lost a similar case against Apple despite a series of online campaigns, including the popular ‘Free Fortnite’ campaign, to garner more support.