Epic has stated that the return of Fortnite to iOS in the UK is now "uncertain," as bringing the Epic Games Store to iOS in the region this year—“if ever”—is not feasible. This comes after the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) reportedly "deprioritised store competition entirely," in the wake of the prolonged legal conflict between Epic and Apple.

Today, the CMA published two strategic roadmaps outlining potential actions to boost competition in mobile ecosystems for both Apple and Google. Despite this, Epic claims the regulator is "choosing not to prioritise opening the mobile ecosystem to alternative app stores this year."

The company expressed disappointment, stating: "This is a missed opportunity to introduce competition into a currently-monopolised market and unlock economic growth and consumer choice. Four years after concluding that the App Store and Google Play Store are parallel monopolies, the CMA has done nothing to enable competing stores."

"A free market requires multiple stores competing to offer consumers the best prices and services," Epic continued. "Without competing stores, the single, state-sanctioned monopoly will exploit its control to extract all value from the market—hurting creators who can’t compete and consumers who can’t choose the best deal."

Fortnite made its comeback to Apple devices in the US and Europe earlier this year in May, ending a five-year absence caused by the dispute over app store policies. However, due to post-Brexit regulatory divergence, the UK has not been included in this rollout, delaying Fortnite’s iOS return until at least next year.

We can’t bring the Epic Games Store to iOS in the UK this year (if ever), and Fortnite's return to iOS in the UK is now uncertain. The UK competition regulator is choosing not to prioritize opening the mobile ecosystem to alternative app stores this year. See more ??… http://ipnx.cn/link/460d2456c49e58dbb01c6723f6a3a560

— Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom) July 23, 2025

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Epic also criticized the CMA’s vague statement regarding developer ability to direct users to external payment systems, noting it fails to address the restrictive measures and excessive fees Apple implemented in Europe—actions widely seen as undermining the Digital Markets Act.

"Unless Apple and Google are fully prevented from charging fees and discriminating against apps using out-of-app payments, we can expect years of malicious compliance, with no real restoration of market competition," the company warned.

Epic contrasted this "bleak news from the United Kingdom" with more robust pro-competition moves in other global markets. "We hope the CMA will use its consultation process to re-evaluate these weak roadmap decisions and deliver genuine app store and payment competition to British consumers," it said.

Later this year, the Epic Games Store and Fortnite are set to launch in Brazil and Japan.

In the meantime, Fortnite remains available on PC and consoles, including Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2, where it runs at 60fps and supports both in-game chat and mouse controls.

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