I’m Back in 2020, Apple and Google removed Fortnite from their stores after Epic Games created a new way to purchase in-game currency directly from it, rather than through the companies’ in-game purchase systems.
The company said that Fortnite will soon return to iOS in the European Union, and the Epic Games Store will appear on Android worldwide and iOS in the European Union.
Created by developer Riley Testut, AltStore PAL was one of the first alternative app stores for iOS. The store launched for European users in April — Apple was forced to partially open its ecosystem in accordance with the local Digital Markets Act (DMA). AltStore is an open-source application that distributes the popular game emulator Delta from Testut himself and applications from other independent developers. Epic Games will not have to pay the owner of AltStore a commission for the presence of Fortnite on the platform, but Apple, according to the new rules, will charge the game publisher €0.50 after the game gets its first million installs per year. For the same reason, all users who install AltStore itself will also have to pay €1.50 per year.
By the end of 2024, the Epic Games Store will not only appear on iPhone and iPad in Europe, but will also be available on the Android operating system worldwide. Google does not prevent the emergence of alternative app stores, and Epic Games representatives have stated that Fortnite and other games will eventually be available on other popular platforms.