Epic Games Store coming to iOS in the UK in 2025

The Epic Games Store will launch on iOS mobile devices in the UK during the second half of 2025, Epic Games has revealed.

The news comes as the UK government passed the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, designed to “ensure fairer competition in the tech industry” and increase consumer protections. 

This includes powers to “tackle anti-competitive behaviour” and “address the far-reaching power of a small number of tech companies” by designating them with strategic market status.

It’s likened to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, also designed to regulate big tech firms and create “fairer” business practices. 

The DMA’s enforcement saw Apple give publishers the option to change their business terms to enable them to launch on alternative stores and use other payment providers. These optional terms are currently part of a non-compiance investigation by the European Commission.

"Tear down this wall"

After the announcement that the Epic Games Store would be coming to iOS in the UK, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney tweeted the “battle rages on to lift Apple’s digital Iron Curtain from the US, Australia, Japan, Korea, Brazil and the rest of the free world”. 

He called on Apple CEO Tim Cook to “tear down this wall”, in reference to enabling third-party marketplaces and payment systems to iOS. The companies have engaged in a number of legal disputes over Apple's iOS and App Store practices.

The release of the marketplace in the UK will mean the long-awaited return to mobile for battle royale title Fortnite in the country. 

The Epic Games Store is set to launch on mobile across iOS and Android in the European Union by the end of 2024.

EGS general manager Steve Allison previously called it the “first ever” games-focused, multiplatform marketplace. The store is set to include Fortnite and a “selection of third-party partners”.

Apple and Google currently charge a 30% fee for their standard business terms, though Apple offers an alternative, optional deal in the EU.

On EGS, developers will get an 88/12 revenue split, while games with in-app purchases can also use their own payment service provider.

Other deals include 0% Unreal Engine royalties for games on EGS and better terms for companies that launch exclusively on the marketplace.

Epic isn't the only games company set to launch a marketplace for mobile. Microsoft recently announced it would launch an Xbox mobile games store in July, featuring titles like Candy Crush Saga and Minecraft.