Apple’s opening of its platform, forced by the EU, means that there is now a title on the iPhone that has been a bone of contention for years: “Fortnite” by Epic Games. The 2017 battle royale classic was already kicked out of the App Store in 2020 and gave rise to several lawsuits in various countries: Apple claimed that Epic was breaking its app store rules, while Epic saw Apple as a monopolist violating competition law. The solution: Epic’s own app store – or distribution via offers outside the App Store. But how exactly do you get “Fortnite” on the iPhone in the EU?

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First the alternative app store…

First of all, you need an alternative app store, also known as an “Alternative App Marketplace” (AAM). Of course, “Fortnite” is not available in the App Store, as Epic Games would have to pay the 30 percent commission demanded by Apple, which the gaming company was able to do. There are now a number of options for AAMs. For example, you can use the AltStore PAL, for which, thanks to Epic, there is no longer an annual fee. Also included is the AAM Aptoide, which was previously only available on Android. And finally, you can also access it from Epic Games itself, as the Epic Games Store is now also available for iOS.

What all AAMs have in common is that they are installed using the Safari browser. They are also not found in the App Store, but rather on the web. If you click on the installation link there, the setup is triggered on the iPhone – including several warning dialogs. You should read these carefully, but don’t let them drive you crazy. Apple at least checks the content for (visible) malware, but not for the actual content.

…then the actual game

Once the AAM is on the iPhone, it is used like a regular app. You start it from the home screen and then install apps in it, as you are used to from Apple’s App Store. The apps from the AAM then land on the home screen and can be started. Epic Games does not currently offer sideloading of “Fortnite” (which is also possible); otherwise it would only be possible with a lot of effort using an unencrypted IPA file, as 9to5Mac describes.

The range of apps in the AAMs is currently still small. For example, in August the Epic Games Store only had “Fall Guys” and “Rocket League Sideswipe” in addition to “Fortnite”. However, the range is likely to improve step by step. Epic Games – just like Apple – charges a commission for the sale of games in its app store, but its business model is somewhat different to that of Apple itself.

(bsc)