Fortnite returns to the iPhone after 4 years — but there’s a big catch

Fortnite is one of the most popular video games ever made, but it's been absent from the iPhone for nearly four years (though it has been playable through web browsers and the cloud). This is because of the long legal battle between Apple and Epic Games over Apple's payment requirements.

Now, thanks to laws in the EU that allow developers to launch third-party app stores on iOS , Epic Games has relaunched its beloved battle royale game on Apple devices. Unfortunately, because these laws only exist in the EU, those outside the region can't download and play it.

Fortnite fans can download the game through two alternative app stores — Epic Games Store and AltStore PAL. The game experience is the same regardless; it's just a matter of where you want to download the game.

“We’re really excited and grateful for the European DMA law,” Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney said in a briefing with reporters. “Fortnite is finally returning to iOS in Europe.”

Oddly, despite the company's FAQ saying you can run the game on iOS 17.4 or later, the download link says, "To install the Epic Games Store on your iPhone, update to iOS 17.6 or later.” This shouldn't be a problem for most users, as it's wise to keep your iPhone updated anyway. But if you didn't update your phone, you'll need to do so if you want to play Fortnite.

Outside of releasing Fortnite and its app store on iOS, the company also launched the Epic Games Store today for Android devices . This isn't restricted to just the European Union, so if you want to check out the store on Android, you can do it anywhere.

The Epic Games Store currently has three first-party games. Epic Games is already talking with third-party mobile developers to bring more games to its app store.

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