Epic Games announced today that its Epic Games Store is now available on Android devices worldwide and on iPhones in the EU.
No one likes a walled garden, and over the last few years, Epic Games has spearheaded the battle against Apple’s closed ecosystem when it comes to mobile games. The European Union has held the same view and has been actively working on legislation to prevent closed ecosystems that create monopolies.
In a press statement earlier today, Epic Games said, “We’re launching on iOS devices in the European Union thanks to the Digital Markets Act, but Apple is still blocking all other iOS users outside of Europe from accessing Fortnite and Epic Games Store for iOS.”
Android users needn’t worry, though; the Epic Games Store is available worldwide on the platform because Android already allows the side-loading of apps.
The battle between Epic Games, Apple, and Android started four years ago when Epic Games bypassed the storefronts of these two companies by incentivising gamers to buy V-bucks for Fortnite directly through Epic Games. Both platforms immediately delisted the game from their official app stores. Epic Games hit back with a lawsuit against both companies.
Epic Games challenged the restrictions on mobile apps that prevent users from using other in-app purchasing methods outside of the one offered by the platform stores. Epic Games’ point of contention is the 30% revenue cut that both companies take on their mobile stores.
Since then, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) has been passed. It’s an EU regulation aiming to make the digital economy fairer and more contestable in that region.
The regulation entered effect on 1 November 2022 and became generally applicable on 2 May 2023. This forced Apple to allow third-party storefronts to be loaded onto iOS devices – but only in that region. Sadly, this means that South African iPhone users are still out of luck.
Android users could always side-load apps, so there was less of a restriction on that platform. This is why the Epic Games Store is available on Android worldwide today.
The announcement also highlighted that the process of installing the Epic Games Store on iOS and Android is lengthy due to “Apple and Google introducing intentionally poor-quality install experiences laden by multiple steps, confusing device settings, and scare screens.” Epic Games said it is continuing to fight in courts and work with regulators around the globe to “eliminate the anticompetitive terms that Apple and Google impose on developers and consumers so we can build a better store for everyone.”
The Epic Games Store has launched with three games: Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys. While Fortnite and Rocket League Sideswipe has been available for mobile for a while now, Fall Guys has long been a major title missing from the mobile gaming space. Resulting in numerous (bad) clone games, like Stumble Guys, driving the charts in on the official app stores.
“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. 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,” said Tim Sweeney, CEO and Founder, Epic Games.
To sideload your Epic Games Store app, you can follow the instructions and install it from the Epic Games Store for Android and iOS. The instructions will show you how to enable side-loading apps on your platform.
Fall Guys is about 1.92Gb and the onscreen controls have been optimised for touch-screen. As expected, there is also an in-game store where you can buy Fall Guy skins for your bean.
We’ve played a few rounds, and so far, Fall Guys runs like a dream on mobile – we’re gaming on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – and we may have just stumbled upon a new mobile game to pass the time with… nice!