Fortnite is making a comeback on Japanese iPhones. Epic Games announced it will launch its flagship game and its own mobile marketplace in Japan in late 2025, riding a wave of new antitrust legislation designed to break Apple’s tight grip on iOS software distribution.
This expansion marks the developer’s first major move outside the European Union. In Europe, a similar antitrust law—the Digital Markets Act—recently forced Apple to allow third-party app stores. Now, Japan is following suit with its own regulations, creating a second massive market where Epic can bypass Apple’s native App Store fees.
Japan’s New Monopoly Crackdown
The regulatory shift comes courtesy of Japan’s newly passed Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Software. Approved by the country’s parliament in June, the law targets tech giants like Apple and Google. It officially prohibits them from blocking third-party app stores and alternative payment systems on their mobile operating systems.
Violators face severe penalties. Companies that break the new rules could be fined up to 20% of their domestic revenue from the offending services. That rate can climb to 30% for repeat offenses. With such high stakes, Apple has little choice but to comply, opening the door for Epic and other independent creators to establish their own digital storefronts.
The Road Back to iOS
Epic’s return to iOS has been a long time coming. Apple kicked Fortnite off the App Store globally in August 2020. The ban happened after Epic secretly introduced its own direct payment system inside the game to avoid Apple’s 30% commission. The stunt triggered a years-long legal war in the United States, which Epic largely lost on antitrust grounds.
But while Epic lost in American courts, regulators around the world took note. Regulators in Tokyo and Brussels decided that the mobile app ecosystem needed intervention. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has been a vocal supporter of these legislative changes. He praised Japan’s new law as a victory for both developers and consumers.
Sweeney expressed excitement about bringing the Epic Games Store to iOS players in Japan under fair competition rules. The company aims to have the store up and running by late 2025.
A Growing Global Trend
The Japanese launch shows that Apple’s walled garden is starting to crack globally. For years, Apple argued that keeping iOS closed was essential for user security and privacy. Tech regulators, however, are increasingly viewing that defense as an excuse to maintain a highly profitable monopoly.
The European Union was the first to act. Epic successfully launched its store on iOS in Europe earlier this year. However, that launch was far from smooth. Apple introduced several new fees, including a Core Technology Fee of 0.50 euros per annual install, which Epic heavily criticized as a bad-faith compliance tactic. How Apple intends to implement Japan’s new rules remains to be seen, but Epic is already preparing for the transition.
What This Means for Japanese Gamers
Japan is one of the most lucrative gaming markets in the world, particularly for mobile games. Bringing Fortnite back to iOS there could provide a major boost to Epic’s mobile player base. Players will finally be able to download the game directly through the Epic Games Store on their iPhones, without needing to jump through complex technical hoops.
Furthermore, Epic plans to offer a lower commission rate to mobile developers who use its store—charging 12% compared to Apple’s standard 30%. This could encourage more Japanese developers to bring their games to the Epic platform, sparking actual competition on iOS for the first time.
As the late 2025 deadline approaches, other countries are watching closely. If Japan and the EU prove that open mobile ecosystems can work safely without harming consumers, more governments are likely to pass similar laws, changing how we download and pay for mobile apps forever.
