Epic Games pulling Fortnite from Galaxy Store just as the game returns to iOS in the EU
Epic Games has just announced that Fortnite and other Epic Games titles will be leaving the Samsung Galaxy Store. This is in protest of Samsung's decision to block side-loading by default on their Android devices, which Epic Games considers anti-competitive.
The decision above is a response to revelations in the US Epic v Google lawsuit about Google's proposals to Samsung to limit competition in the Android app distribution market. However, there is a silver lining, as Fortnite is set to return to iOS devices in the European Union.
Epic Games is also planning to make their own mobile games, including Fortnite, available on other mobile stores that offer what they consider to be fair deals to all developers. The company claims to be taking a stand against stores that act as "rent collectors" without offering robust competition or fair treatment to developers, even if those stores offer special deals for Epic's own games.
Excitingly, Epic Games also announced that their mobile games will be available on AltStore for iOS devices in the EU, and they plan to announce support for at least two other third-party stores soon.
This shift in strategy is due to Epic's long-standing advocacy for fair competition among stores on iOS and Android. They believe that progress is being made globally through regulations like Europe's DMA and similar laws in the UK and Japan, as well as regulatory investigations worldwide and the victory in the Epic v Google lawsuit in the US.
As the operator of the Epic Games Store, they claim to want to take advantage of this opportunity to offer developers a great deal on their platform. Furthermore, thee company is urging its user-base to stay tuned for further updates as they prepare to roll out their mobile launch.
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