Epic Games Announces Fortnite’s Return to iOS in the EU, Exits Samsung App Store** Gaming giant Epic Games revealed that its popular title, Fortnite, would be coming back to iOS devices across the European Union. It was absent from the App Store of Apple for quite a time due to a high-profile legal lawsuit between the two parties. Coupled with this good news, however, Epic Games is also announcing that Fortnite will leave the Samsung Galaxy Store, a platform on which it was earlier available for Android devices. In its way, this dual move is a rather prominent change of events concerning Epic Games’ distribution strategy and continuous struggles between giant tech companies over app store policies and digital rights. **Fortnite’s Return to iOS in the EU This victory has signaled Fortnite’s return to iOS devices in the EU, marking a huge win for Epic Games and its dedicated fan base.
Back in August 2020, the game was removed from the App Store after Epic Games had added a direct payment option in-app, circumventing Apple’s standard 30% commission fee for in-app purchases. After this move by Epic, Apple removed Fortnite from its platform, and what had started as an apparent dispute escalated into a legal case of remarkable interest to many in the tech world. The lawsuit was embroiled in antitrust issues and questions over app store monopolies. The mixed verdict meant that while some of Epic’s arguments were being upheld by the court, Apple could still control who distributes apps through its ecosystem. And it meant Fortnite remained off iOS devices for months, much to the frustration of millions of players who couldn’t access their favorite game.
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The fact that Epic Games announced that Fortnite is coming back to iOS in the EU is a big deal. Details of the agreement are not entirely clear, but presumably, some compromise or adjustment has been made to the app’s pay structure. This lets Epic Games get into the large market of iOS users and refresh the title on one of the most important platforms. **Exiting Samsung Galaxy Store** On the bright side, as Fortnite will make its return to iOS, Epic Games will be exiting the Samsung Galaxy Store. The Galaxy Store was essentially Samsung’s in-house marketplace of apps, and it offered a different channel of distribution for Fortnite on Android. Through this store, it had let users download and play Fortnite after being taken off the Google Play Store back in August 2018. Removing Fortnite from the Samsung Galaxy Store seems to be a tactical move by Epic Games, as it can be related to consolidating its channels of distribution or setting more favorable terms with other partners.
The reasons are not precisely known, but it could be related to wider changes in Epic Games’ distribution strategy or shifts in its relationship with Samsung. With this, Fortnite will no longer be available through this channel to Samsung users, who will now be forced to find alternative ways to access the video game. Meanwhile, the move made by Epic Games could bear on efforts by Samsung to come up with exclusive content and services being offered through its app store, thus affecting its competitive position in the market.
