Epic Games to Bring Fortnite to iPad in EU After iPadOS 'Gatekeeper' Decision

[MacRumors]

With Apple soon to be required to bring the same EU changes that it made on the iPhone to the iPad, Epic Games today confirmed that it will release Fortnite for the iPad in the future.

Epic Games is already working to release an iPhone version of Fortnite in the EU, with the game set to be available from the forthcoming Epic Games Store, an alternative app marketplace. The iPhone version of Fortnite is coming "soon," and an iPad version will follow "this year."

The European Commission said this morning that iPadOS, the operating system designed to run on the iPad, is considered a digital gatekeeper under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). As a result, Apple has six months to comply with the requirements set by the DMA, and we've already seen those requirements implemented on iPhone.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1784978618344456484

As of iOS 17.4, iPhone users in the European Union can download apps from alternative app marketplaces rather than the App Store, and starting in iOS 17.5, apps are available directly from developer websites. Right now, only iPhone apps can be downloaded outside of the App Store, but Apple will need to expand this functionality to the iPad as well.

Within six months, EU users will be able to download iPad apps from alternative app marketplaces and from websites. As with the iPhone updates, the upcoming changes are limited to the European Union, and the iPad app ecosystem will function as is in the rest of the world.

Article Link: Epic Games to Bring Fortnite to iPad in EU After iPadOS 'Gatekeeper' Decision

 

[Think|Different]

Any and all Epic 'wins' only illicit this from me these days. They are all for themselves – not the consumer.

 

[DFZD]

Screw Epic but its a Big Win for Mobile Gaming. Hope the EU policy is implemented for the rest of the free world.

 

[JPack]

Like it or not, it’s a win for consumers against gatekeepers like Apple. Epic Games may have pursued this for self serving reasons, but that doesn’t diminish the practical value of the DMA nor the upcoming DOJ antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. against Apple.

 

[now i see it]

Hope nobody downloads it - out of spite

 

[shadowboi]

Epic Games Store

That’s all we need to know. Another day to forget that Fortnite exists. What’s next, they will ask you to install antivirus for iPhone in order to be able to launch the game? Really, who cares about their store, it ain’t “epic” at all.

The only decent online games store I have ever seen was GOG. No bloatware, no fake deals and ads, no bs approach

 

[florida man]

View attachment 2373145

Any and all Epic 'wins' only illicit this from me these days. They are all for themselves – not the consumer.

Idk what you’re even talking about. This is capitalism 101. Companies have a duty to their shareholders. Any attitudes toward consumers are only to serve that purpose. A company that says it’s “pro-consumer” only does so because saying they are pro-consumer is good for business.

It’s true for Apple, Epic, and everyone else. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

Apple will milk the fees as long as possible, just like Epic, Spotify, and any other company that can afford strong legal teams will seek to pay as little as possible. Each will blame the other.

There are no good guys here.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Congratulations EU friends. You now get the CHOICE to put what software you want on favorite tech devices you own... this being but one of them... while the rest of us have "Daddy" deciding for us what can and can't be installed on the very same tech we've purchased. Apparently to many of us, Father knows best... and whatever Father dictates is the only way it should be.

Enjoy your greater freedom... much like the rest of us have and have had with our Macs for many years now... leading to no apocalypse, no disaster, no account draining by evil crime syndicates, we're not swimming in viruses, no locusts/frogs/famine, etc... just as you are experiencing after almost 2 months of these laws taking effect... and as it will likely be months and then years from now too.

 

[DFZD]

Hope nobody downloads it - out of spite

Fortnite is no longer just a battle royale game now.. its a SuperApp kind of platform with various Fortnite branded games. Heck they ever partnered with Lego for one of them. It's like a cancer, nothing stops it.

 

[d686546s]

Any and all Epic 'wins' only illicit this from me these days. They are all for themselves – not the consumer.

And this is different from any other company -- including Apple -- how exactly?

 

[SanderEvers]

Yeah, the Epic Games Store known for installing Chinese spyware and using Fortnite money to buy game exclusives on Windows... Tim Sweeney isn't the saint he thinks he is.

I will never install the Epic Games Store on any device.

 

[IceCool]

lol to the people that think the EU is giving users a “choice” 🤣🤣🤣

 

[MacFan23]

And this is different from any other company -- including Apple -- how exactly?

Only really of note here because they successfully managed to convince a significant number of people that they were the good guys fighting for consumer rights against the evil and greedy Apple corporation. It was masterfully done.

 

[klasma]

Companies have a duty to their shareholders. Any attitudes toward consumers are only to serve that purpose.

The purpose of a company can be to serve their customers. You are espousing a very US-centric and skewed view of capitalism. But even in the US, the purpose can be what I stated, and the only duty is to remain profitable enough to fulfill that purpose.

Besides, the majority shareholder of Epic is Tim Sweeney. So he is free to decide what Epic’s purpose should be, and could have decided differently.

 

[erikkfi]

I'm not a Fortnite person but it's nice to see more consumer choice come to a platform that has previously had none. All we need to do now is knock down that absurd Core Technology Fee -- or make it the same as the one Apple charges for macOS (which is $0) -- and we'll really have something great going.

 

[tridley68]

And then when they get virus or no support from these third parties they will blame Apple so EU crybabies can't have your cake and eat it to popping popcorn to sit back and watch the show should be good for a couple laughs.

 

[SanderEvers]

I'm not a Fortnite person but it's nice to see more consumer choice come to a platform that has previously had none. All we need to do now is knock down that absurd Core Technology Fee -- or make it the same as the one Apple charges for macOS (which is $0) -- and we'll really have something great going.

Except it's not giving users any choice. It's forcing users to use third party app stores that are less secure. To install apps they want. For example there is already one app that is available elsewhere in the normal App Store and in the EU in a third party one.

 

[icanhazmac]

In other news the EU finds that Apples are gatekeepers of Apple seeds, Apples have 6 months to make their seeds available to other fruits.

 

[vipergts2207]

Hope nobody downloads it - out of spite

Bud, realize that 99% of people don't care about these crusades one way or the other.

 

[vipergts2207]

Except it's not giving users any choice. It's forcing users to use third party app stores that are less secure. To install apps they want. For example there is already one app that is available elsewhere in the normal App Store and in the EU in a third party one.

You mean Delta?

 

[steve09090]

Idk what you’re even talking about. This is capitalism 101. Companies have a duty to their shareholders. Any attitudes toward consumers are only to serve that purpose. A company that says it’s “pro-consumer” only does so because saying they are pro-consumer is good for business.

It’s true for Apple, Epic, and everyone else. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

Apple will milk the fees as long as possible, just like Epic, Spotify, and any other company that can afford strong legal teams will seek to pay as little as possible. Each will blame the other.

There are no good guys here.

All this fake rage.

Epic are private not publicly traded. Their selfishness is all about themselves, not shareholders. 🤦🏻

 

[spartan1967]

Love it. 💗

Let's all just play nice from now on & put the consumer first for once please.

 

[Rogifan]

Hope nobody downloads it - out of spite

Spite who? Most people don’t know who the CEO of companies are. They just want to play their games.

 

[SanderEvers]

You mean Delta?

Exactly. And others will follow.

 

[vipergts2207]

Exactly. And others will follow.

So an app belonging a category which Apple had actually banned wholesale from their own store for years up until a month ago? That's rich. Thank you for the absolutely fantastic example of why Apple should not be the only source for apps.

Apple: bans emulators

You: silence

Developer: releases emulator on third-party app store

You: