Epic Games Store Expansion to iOS and Android devices set for late 2024 in the European Union | Apple | iPhone | DMA | TECHNOLOGY

Epic Games has officially announced the launch of its Epic Games Store application and game store for iOS and Android devices, expected to be available by the end of 2024. The announcement was made during the State of Unreal 2024 event at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco and was streamed on Twitch and YouTube.

The decision to bring the Epic Games Store to iOS and Android came after a series of challenges with Apple, including Apple’s veto of Epic Games’ development account, hindering their ability to bring Fortnite and their app store to European iOS devices. However, Apple has since committed to reinstating the development account, allowing the Epic Games Store to proceed as planned.

Steve Allison, General Manager of Epic Games Store, emphasized the company’s efforts to provide a more open and fair distribution platform on mobile devices. The Epic Games Store will become the first multiplatform game store available on Android, iOS, Windows PC, and Mac computers.

During the event, Epic also introduced Unreal Engine 5.4 game engine, featuring Motion Matching technology for character animation and rendering performance enhancements. Additionally, new features for sound design and improvements to the Unreal Editor for Fortnite were announced, including the introduction of MetaHumans for character creation and animation within Fortnite.

Looking ahead, Epic plans to introduce new controls, a first-person camera, an object system for creating weapons, and other features to enhance game development within the Unreal Editor for Fortnite platform. Further developments and updates are expected in the coming months, showcasing Epic’s commitment to innovation and providing tools for developers to create engaging gaming experiences.