Playing Fortnite on iPhone again has shown me an alternate future

For the first time since August 2020, Fortnite is back on iOS, and it’s just as exciting and engaging as ever — although a lot has changed in that time.

Following years of legal battles, rumors, and the launch of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Epic Games’ flagship title has reappeared on the newly launched Epic Games Store on iOS and Android, as well as the AltStore PAL third-party marketplace.

There are some caveats. While Android users across the globe can take the plunge, only EU-based iPhone owners can download the store as a result of the DMA prying open Apple’s grip. The launch of the Epic Games Store gives us a glimpse at what’s possible following these regulations, and could be a seismic moment for third-party iOS marketplaces in general. 

While four alternative app stores have been released since the EU’s March compliance date, none have particularly taken the sector by storm. Setapp Mobile is constantly adding more apps, but remains in closed beta; Mobivention is B2B-focused; Aptoide hasn’t fully launched and only allows 500 additional users a day; and AltStore PAL has had minimal success getting apps notarized.

But today’s launch of the Epic Games Store may change all that. The company’s catalog of world-famous titles like Fortnite, Fall Guys, and Rocket League may be the spark that ignites a public fervor for alternative app stores. Epic also seems keen for the sector to thrive, as it’s distributing its games through other third-party marketplaces, starting with AltStore PAL and then Aptoide in the future.

Before we discuss what that future could look like, we first need to take a step back and actually install the Epic Games Store.

Getting the marketplace onto an iPhone in Europe is similar to other alternative marketplaces, in that it requires roughly a dozen screen interactions. For new users, this can be daunting, but Epic’s helpful instructions are clear and easy to follow. There is one caveat where the FAQ claims the Epic Games Store can be installed on phones running “iOS 17.4 or later,” but we had to update to 17.6.

The Epic Games Store on both iOS and Android launches with Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and a mobile version of Fall Guys. After you have the marketplace set up, getting a game on your phone is as easy as clicking “install.”

The Fortnite gameplay experience on iOS is brilliant. The game runs perfectly, and I had no issues with the responsiveness of the screen controls, network connection, or graphics. The only element that felt strange was the fact we’ve been denied playing Fortnite in this way for so long.

Broadly, the process of getting the Epic Games Store on Android is similar to iOS. The installation requires fewer steps, but it still requires eight screen interactions. Following that, it was clear sailing. I installed Fortnite and went rampaging. The gameplay was similar to that of the iPhone: smooth and seamless, the only visible difference down to hardware since I tested with a rickety Google Pixel 5 on Android and a more capable iPhone Pro Max 13 running iOS.

The Epic Games Store isn’t the only way to access the company’s titles. Users of AltStore PAL can also download Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys Mobile, with support for Aptoide coming in the future.

Apple makes the installation of AltStore PAL on iOS just as onerous. The marketplace then requires users to add “sources,” which are URLs containing JSON files that hold app metadata. While that might sound complex, it’s simple in practice: you add a link and receive a list of apps from a developer. For Epic Games’ titles, it’s even easier, as the store is included in AltStore PAL’s recommended sources.

After adding Epic Games as a source, all you need to do is start a download and get cracking. Easy as pie. The major difference is the Epic Games Store is more elegant and capable than AltStore PAL. This is not only in terms of the user interface, but the fact that the Epic Games Store will soon support Parental Controls, something that will enable guardians to restrict access to age-inappropriate titles and block spending. Overall though, both marketplaces enable the same thing: installing and playing games.

Epic is taking a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats approach in its support for alternative app stores that could make it a lot more money. But only if it can convince the public that the water’s safe outside of Big Tech’s ecosystem.

Earlier this week, Epic Games gave AltStore PAL a “MegaGrant” which made it free to use, thus significantly increasing its chances of going mainstream. And since AltStore PAL doesn’t host developers’ apps itself, it doesn’t take a cut of any downloads or eat into Epic’s profit. Epic therefore has little to lose but much to gain by distributing its games on its own store and other third-party marketplaces. 

There’s also a PR element to Epic’s actions as it courts the favor of regulators in the EU, UK, and US who are actively looking into antitrust complaints against Apple and Google. Several possible outcomes could positively impact Epic’s coffers.

Regardless of Epic’s motivations, the sector has been crying out for a big name to come along and attract a wide audience. The Fortnite-owning Epic Games could achieve just that. If people flock to these third-party app stores, it will act as a clarion call to other developers, many of whom would, on paper, rather give Epic Games a 12 percent revenue cut than suffer Apple’s 30 percent cut on the App Store.

However, last week Apple introduced new rules to take a slice of off-platform sales which makes third-party app stores less attractive to developers. And mass adoption of these stores will require lots of users not getting scared off by the deluge of warnings they see during installation.

Apple especially doesn’t want alternative marketplaces to take off and threaten its hegemony. It earns an estimated $70 billion in App Store revenue annually and it won’t give that up without fighting tooth-and-nail.

Epic Games has put the future of third-party marketplaces on iOS on a knife’s edge. Now all we can do is wait and see if it can cut into Apple’s dominance.