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EU rules iPadOS must comply with Digital Markets Act, opening door for Fortnite

The European Union designated iPadOS as a gatekeeper and ruled that Apple must adjust the ecosystem to comply with the Digital Markets Act within six months.

TJ Denzer

April 29, 2024 12:42 PM

Image via Epic Games

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It would appear that Apple has been dealt another blow by the EU and its aggressive rollout of the Digital Markets Act. This time, the EU has ruled that Apple’s iPadOS can be designated a gatekeeper in the tech software space and, therefore, must be adjusted to adhere to the Digital Markets Act (DMA) within six months from this week’s ruling. Epic Games, which has been a major catalyst for this move with its lawsuits against Apple, has also announced that it stands poised to bring Fortnite back to iPad in the EU when the tech giant does adjust iPads to comply with the EU’s rules.

The EU posted its ruling on iPadOS and the order for its compliance with the Digital Markets Act in a press release on the European Union website. Reportedly, on the same day the EU designated iOS as a gatekeeper ecosystem, it opened an investigation into iPadOS to determine whether it fell under the same scrutiny. About 7 months later, the EU has decided iPads fall under the same rules as iOS devices and should be regulated as such.

Epic Games has stood at the ready to act on this information. The developer has already prepared to return Fortnite to iOS devices by way of the upcoming Epic Games Store app. Now, it has announced via the Epic Games social media that it intends to do the same with iPads. Epic has promised that Fortnite is coming back to iOS in the EU soon, and later this year, it will work on the iPad version following Apple’s compliance.

Epic Games seems content to keep poking and prodding at Apple under the EU’s new regulations, and Apple’s hands seem tied in the matter for now. As we await further updates and details regarding Apple, Epic, and the DMA, stay tuned for further news on this topic right here at Shacknews.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.