Japanese iPhone users will soon be able to drop back into Fortnite directly on their devices. Epic Games has confirmed it is bringing its hit battle royale game back to iOS in Japan, courtesy of a major regulatory shift in the country. The move follows the passage of a new Japanese antitrust law designed to break the stranglehold Apple and Google have over mobile app distribution.
The law, officially called the Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software, was passed by Japan’s parliament in June. It mirrors the European Union’s Digital Markets Act. Under the new rules, tech giants are banned from blocking third-party app stores and payment systems. Companies that fail to comply could face staggering fines—up to 20 percent of their domestic revenue, which can jump to 30 percent for repeat offenses.
A Long-Awaited Return
For Epic Games, this legislative shift is a green light. The developer announced on social media that it plans to launch both the Epic Games Store and Fortnite on iOS in Japan by late 2025. This marks a dramatic turnaround for Japanese gamers who have been locked out of the native iOS app since 2020, when Apple booted Fortnite from the App Store after Epic bypassed Apple’s 30 percent payment commission.
Epic’s chief executive, Tim Sweeney, has been highly vocal about the victory. He praised the Japanese government for passing the law, calling it a major step toward open platforms. “Japan has taken a massive leap forward,” Sweeney said in a statement online. He emphasized that the new law will finally allow developers to compete on a level playing field.
The Global Ripple Effect
Japan is not the first region where Epic has used local legislation to force its way back onto Apple devices. Just recently, Epic launched its games store on iOS in the European Union under the provisions of the DMA. This template is now being applied to Japan, and potentially other nations looking to rein in big tech monopolies.
The battle between Epic and Apple has been going on for four years. What started as a daring stunt by Epic—deliberately breaking App Store rules to trigger a lawsuit—has evolved into a global lobbying campaign. Courts in the United States mostly sided with Apple on antitrust claims, but regulators in Europe and Asia are taking a much harder line.
How the New Rules Work
Japan’s fair trade commission will monitor the mobile ecosystem closely once the law goes into full effect, which is expected by late 2025. It targets four key areas: app stores, search engines, browsers, and operating systems. The goal is simple. Japanese officials want to ensure that domestic consumers have choices and that local developers aren’t forced to pay high fees to American tech giants.
Under the new law, Apple will have to allow Japanese users to download apps from alternative marketplaces. This means the Epic Games Store can run as a standalone app on iOS, serving as the launchpad for Fortnite and other titles. Users will also be able to use alternative payment methods, potentially avoiding the “Apple tax” that has long driven up the price of in-game purchases.
What Lies Ahead for Gamers
For Japanese players, the news is a welcome relief. Since 2020, the only way to play Fortnite on an iPhone in Japan was through cloud gaming services, which require a highly stable internet connection and often suffer from input lag. A native app will restore the smooth, responsive experience that mobile gamers prefer.
However, the transition may not be completely smooth. Apple has previously introduced complex fee structures for developers operating alternative stores in Europe, leading to ongoing disputes with Epic. It remains to be seen if Apple will try a similar strategy in Japan, or if the country’s regulators will block such attempts from the start. For now, Epic is moving forward with its plans, confident that the legal landscape has permanently shifted in its favor.
