2 min read
Epic Games has unleashed a furious critique of the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), branding their new mobile app rules as weak. The company warns that Fortnite’s return to iOS in the UK may now be off the table. There is even a talk of Epic Games Store never seeing the light of the day on British iPhones.
The UK CMA recently designated Apple and Google with strategic market status, marking a major regulatory move. Yet it held off on forcing alternative app stores or sideloading on iOS until 2026.
In blunt, uncompromising language, Epic said online:
“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.”
They warned that vague anti-steering guidelines could spawn years of malicious compliance, echoing tactics seen in Europe under its Digital Markets Act.
Epic is urging the UK CMA to revisit the roadmap now, not later, if Fortnite is expected to make a iOS comeback. Without competing app stores, users remain locked into Apple’s walled garden.
With peers in Brazil, Japan, and Europe moving forward, the UK risks falling behind. The CMA will revisit scope in 2026, including sideloading. Epic is calling on UK regulators to reexamine these weak roadmap decisions immediately. As they point out, U.S. court orders have already forced Apple to accept third-party payments.
Fortnite’s uncertain status on UK iPhones signals a major test for digital competition and consumer freedom.
