Tim Sweeney headed to Twitter to give iOS users a sliver of hope as to whether Fortnite would return to Apple devices again.
It’s been more than two years since the kerfuffle between Epic Games and Apple ensued. Ultimately, the case resulted in the famous battle royale, Fortnite, getting removed from the App Store when Epic decided to update their game with a payment system that bypassed Apple’s in-app purchases. Fast forward to 2023, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney tweeted to celebrate the new year that read, “Next year on iOS!” followed by an image of a Fortnite character looking up at fireworks that spelled 2023. Since Apple has banned the game, we can’t be sure how exactly Epic will bring Fortnite account owners back to iOS devices. Could this mean that Sweeney is referring to other alternative app stores on iOS?
Is Reconciliation Possible?
Since Epic Games added a payment system for Fortnite back in August 2020, the Fortnite Item Shop has been entirely banned from the App Store. Nowadays, the company has steered clear from Apple’s sights after breaking the rules that led to a major lawsuit. Tim Sweeney’s tweet doesn’t detail the cryptic message, but the proclamation can be interpreted in many ways.
For one, it could mean we’re getting Fortnite back in the App Store. However, this is an ideal situation—no more, no less. Still, there’s a small possibility that this could happen, but it would require a major reconciliation for Epic Games and Apple’s side, which may take some time.
Fortnite is Available On iOS, Albeit With Some Caveats
Since Apple removed Fortnite from the iOS App Stores in August 2020, the legal spats between the two companies led to Apple’s version of Fortnite missing out on many updates and seasons. Technically, you can still play Fortnite using your iOS device—provided you had it installed before Apple removed it. You might think that’s fine and dandy for those still with Fortnite on their devices, but there’s a caveat: it’s perpetually trapped in version 13.40.
To give you an idea on how far back version 13.40 of Fortnite is, it means that players weren’t able to experience things such as Ariana Grande’s concert (August 2021), the Marvel-themed season (August 2020), and the introduction of dirt bikes and a new location (December 2022). Furthermore, an announcement was made in January 2023 that will further cripple the version of the game.
Starting January 30, 2023, players who have Fortnite installed on their iOS devices won’t be able to spend V-Bucks anymore to buy in-game cosmetics and accessories. Moreover, they have to be older than 18 years old to play.
Apple’s Plans
In December 2022, Bloomberg reported that Apple is currently working on allowing third-party app stores on iOS for the very first time. Should this push through, iPad and iPhone users would be able to download and install software that isn’t Apple-approved. Most notably, Apple is forced to allow third-party app marketplaces to exist in Europe thanks to the Digital Markets Act. If Apple doesn’t contest the law, they could enable that functionality sometime in Q3 2023. But remember that this activity from Apple’s side is more of a preparatory move than something that’ll be implemented. Given Apple’s history of resisting alternative app marketplaces and side-loading from a privacy and security standpoint, we know they’ll try to resist introducing it as much as possible.
Bloomberg’s report claims that this change may take effect once iOS 17 materializes, which is expected to happen later this year. However, it’s essential to keep in mind that we don’t know how exactly Apple is going to open iOS on alternative app stores. Apple being Apple, they could make installing these third-party apps too complicated for their users, discouraging developers from further distributing their software outside the App Store.
In the Meantime…
It’s still unclear whether we will see the Fortnite Item Shop back up and running again on iOS devices. The added restrictions for the outdated version of Fortnite in Apple’s App Store can certainly feel heavy, especially for those who don’t have any other way to play the game, but all hope isn’t lost.
Thankfully, there are still ways to play the battle royale on Apple devices. For starters, you can ride the Battle Bus and drop into the island using Nvidia’s GeForce streaming service, which has been an enormous help. If you have an active Xbox Cloud Gaming, you can use that to play the latest version of Fortnite on Android or iOS—no Xbox Game Pass subscription is needed.
