News Summary

• Epic is also making its games available via AltStore, a third-party app store that is also supposed to be an Apple App Store work-around.Here's how we got here: Back in 2020, Epic had intentionally provoked Apple, as part of a fight over Apple's App Store fees and policies.
• But first, an explanation of what's happening Friday: People who use iPhones and Android devices will now be able to download "Fortnite," as well as other Epic-owned games, without going through Apple's or Google's app stores.
• Instead, they can download Epic's own app store onto their devices, via the web, and download the games that way.
• Related stories And if players want to spend money on those games — to buy digital items like cool outfits for their characters — Epic will keep 100% of the dollars the players spend, instead of giving Apple and Google up to 30% of each transaction.
• Earlier this year, though, European regulators forced Apple to open up its store there, and Apple has grudgingly agreed.And even that victory, Epic argues, has been marred by what it describes as "malicious compliance" on Apple's part.
• So Apple has made it clear that it's going to move as slowly on this stuff as it can.