We already knew Epic Games plans to release its digital storefront on mobile devices via the iOS App Store and Android’s Google Play later this year. Months after the initial announcement, the prolific game and technology company announced today that the Epic Games Store is now available for iOS and Android devices.
In a press release, Epic confirmed that the Epic Games Store is available to download on Android devices worldwide, in addition to iPhones, but only for Apple smartphone owners based in the EU. Epic also provided steps to install the Epic Game Store on mobile devices, citing that the process is long “due to Apple and Google introducing intentionally poor-quality install experiences” plagued with complex settings, lengthy steps, and “scare screens.”
As Epic previously confirmed during the State of Unreal earlier this year, the mobile version of the Epic Games Store (EGS), the digital storefront, is poised to become the “first-ever game-focused, multi-platform store,” expanding its reach onto Android and iOS, alongside its already available apps on macOS and PC. Like the computer app and desktop version, mobile developers benefit “from the same fair terms,” with an 88/12 split revenue share, among other incentives.
Fortnite is back on mobile devices
Beyond the release of the mobile version of the Epic Games Store, the company also revealed today that Fortnite is officially back on mobile devices through the company’s digital storefront. In addition to launching on the Epic Games Store mobile version, EU Android and iOS owners can access Fortnite through the AltStore, a third-party digital storefront available thanks to the DMA.
This marks the first time Fortnite has been available natively on mobile devices after Apple and Google pulled the free-to-play battle royale app from the App Store and Google Play in 2020. Previously, if you wanted to play Fortnite on mobile devices after its removal, you could only play it via two cloud gaming services: Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now if you wanted to play on Apple devices. While Android users could directly download the app or play on the aforementioned cloud streaming services.
Alongside Fortnite, Epic confirmed that Fall Guys and Rocket League Sideswipe are also available to download on Android devices worldwide and EU iPhones via the mobile version of EGS and the EU’s AltStore. This is the first time Fall Guys has been made available on mobile devices, following its initial release in 2020 for PS4 and Windows and subsequent ports for PS5, Switch, and Xbox in 2022.
“The tide is turning, and the mobile ecosystem is finally opening up to competition. We are grateful to the European Commission for making it possible to launch the Epic Games Store and offer our games to iOS users in the European Union,” Epic Games Founder and CEO Tim Sweeney wrote in a press release. “Now, European iOS users and all Android users can access our store and games, as they’ve always been able to do on open platforms like PC and Mac. The fight is far from over, but this is tangible progress for developers and consumers who can begin to benefit from competition and choice.”
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
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