Brazilian iPhone and iPad owners will be able to download the Epic Games Store to their devices in July.
Epic announced the new expansion of its mobile Games Store on X, adding that it follows “the competition regulator’s big court win against Apple” in Brazil.
The Fortnite maker also thanked the Brazilian government body that forced through the move, the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica, or CADE, in a post on its Fortnite Brasil X handle.
Epic boss Tim Sweeney chipped in on the announcement too, adding: “Fortnite will be returning to iOS in Brazil through the Epic Games Store. It’s already live on iOS in the EU and on the way in the UK and Japan.”
“In the rest of the world, Apple continues to block competing app stores and is blocking Fortnite from competing with other iOS games.”
Epic launched its Games Store worldwide on Android and in EU markets only in August 2024. At last count in September 2024, Epic said it had generated 10m mobile Games Store downloads since launch, having previously said it was targeting 100m installs by the end of 2024.
In a ‘year in review’ post last month, Epic said its Games Store’s DAU peaked at 37.2m in 2024, and peak MAU reached 74m, slightly down from last year’s 75m. But it did not break out how many of those users were on mobile.
To whip up more interest in its mobile store, Epic announced back in January that it would cover the costs of Apple’s Core Technology Fee for studios looking to add their games to its alternative store. Apple has previously come under fire from across the mobile games business for introducing the fee, which is charged to developers per download if they choose to release games on alternative stores like Epic’s. It was likened by some as Apple’s own Runtime fee.
In January 2024, Xsolla interim CEO and president Chris Hewish told us: “It’s clear with these policies that Apple views developers as nothing more than thieves trying to steal from the house of Apple, when in reality Apple is hoarding the riches these developers rightfully deserve.”
Hewish continued: “Doing some quick estimates, it appears that the 17% fee plus €0.50 install fee is just another way of maintaining their 30% fee; just dressed differently.”
“Similar recently announced install fees haven’t gone over well with the industry and it’s been shown how they will have a tremendously negative impact on anyone running free to play games. Which is likely the intention and a clumsy way of trying to keep developers locked into the 30% fee structure.”
