After four years, Fortnite is finally back on the Apple Store.

Apple removed Fortnite from the iOS App Store in August 2020. After a long and glorious legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, Fortnite is finally back on the App Store after four years. However, it is only available in the EU or European Union, and players who want to play Fortnite will need to install the Epic Games Store platform on their phones to play the game. Here are all the details about Fortnite’s return to mobile.

Why was Fortnite removed from the Apple Store?

The problem started when Epic Games added its own payment system to Fortnite, creating a loophole to avoid Apple’s 30% cut on in-game item sales and microtransactions. Apple removed Fortnite from its store because of this, and Epic Games retaliated with a lawsuit.

Epic Games has argued in a lengthy legal battle that Apple, Google, and even other tech giants like Steam have anti-competitive systems in place. They have accused Apple of introducing a poor UI experience with the installation process.

Apple ultimately won, but the judge ordered Apple to give developers more freedom to help users pay for digital goods. This isn’t the last time Epic Games and Apple have fought. So why is Fortnite suddenly on the iOS App Store?

relevant: How to get Doctor Doom in Fortnite

Fortnite returns to EU iOS App Store

In March 2024, EU law required Apple to allow alternative stores in the EU. Epic Games has been pushing its own platform to provide users with a more seamless access to the store and make purchases. Since this law came into effect, Epic Games has immediately returned Fortnite to all EU devices.

Downloading Fortnite can be a little scary at first because it’s not an app store. You’ll need to use the Safari browser to download the Epic Games Store Marketplace. This acts as an “app store” but is exclusive to all Epic Games. It has to pass some Apple verification checks and your device has to be running iOS 17.6 or later.

Once installed, open the Epic Games Store and find all the games you want to play, including Fortnite. If you have trouble getting to this step, go to Settings and tap the banner that says “Allow Marketplace on Epic Games.”

Install Fortnite and open the game!