Epic Games launches app store to compete with Apple and Google

On August 16, Epic Games, the developer of the hit game Fortnite, launched an app store that offers users an alternative to Apple and Google's app stores.

Epic Games has launched its own app store. (Source: AFP)

The Epic Games Store is now available to Android phone users globally, as well as to iPhone and iPad users in Europe.

Epic launched the app store after waging legal battles and lobbying regulators to curb the dominance of Apple and Google in the app market for phones running the operating systems of the US tech giants.

A new European Union (EU) law called the Digital Markets Act (DMA) has forced Apple to remove barriers for app developers in Europe.

"We are excited to launch our games on iOS and Android, thanks to Europe's newly enacted DMA law," Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said at a press conference at the company's headquarters in Sweden.

Epic aims to reach 100 million installs of its app store across Android and iOS devices by the end of this year.

In addition to Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe is also available on Epic's app store, as is Fall Guys, which is making its debut on mobile.

The video game Fortnite is also returning to iPhone and iPad after being banned in 2020 for trying to circumvent Apple's payment rules.