Epic Games has expressed dissatisfaction with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for not taking immediate action to mandate Apple to permit alternative app stores within the country. This delay, according to Epic, casts uncertainty over the potential re-release of ‘Fortnite’ on iOS devices in the UK.
On July 23, 2025, the CMA announced its intention to designate Apple and Google as entities with strategic market status, a classification that would subject them to new regulatory measures aimed at curbing anti-competitive behaviors. This designation could lead to reduced transaction fees, prohibition of system designs favoring their own services, and improved interoperability between their services and third-party apps. However, the CMA indicated that a decision on whether to require alternative app distribution methods on Apple devices would be deferred until the following year. ([ft.com](https://www.ft.com/content/2f954afc-74ed-4740-ac78-971371f9cee7?utm_source=openai))
Epic Games responded critically to this timeline, stating that the CMA’s roadmap doesn’t open the mobile app ecosystem to competition in the UK and that bringing ‘Fortnite’ back to iOS in the UK is now uncertain. Epic contends that the CMA is not prioritizing the introduction of alternative app stores in 2025, leaving the possibility of reconsideration to 2026. This, they argue, is a missed opportunity to foster competition and stimulate economic growth in a market they perceive as monopolized. ([appleinsider.com](https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/07/24/epic-games-is-annoyed-uk-regulator-isnt-working-harder-to-enable-third-party-app-stores?utm_source=openai))
The CMA’s previous investigations concluded that Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store operate as parallel monopolies. Despite this finding, Epic asserts that no substantial steps have been taken to allow other stores into the space. They believe that permitting multiple stores is essential for a free market, as it would encourage competition on price and service. Without such competition, existing stores maintain a state-sanctioned monopoly that disadvantages app creators and consumers alike. ([appleinsider.com](https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/07/24/epic-games-is-annoyed-uk-regulator-isnt-working-harder-to-enable-third-party-app-stores?utm_source=openai))
In contrast, the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) has introduced competition by allowing alternative stores. Epic criticizes the CMA for deprioritizing store competition entirely, suggesting that the UK is lagging behind in fostering a competitive app marketplace. ([appleinsider.com](https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/07/24/epic-games-is-annoyed-uk-regulator-isnt-working-harder-to-enable-third-party-app-stores?utm_source=openai))
Anti-Steering Concerns
Epic also addressed the CMA’s announcement regarding anti-steering rules. The CMA indicated plans to allow developers to direct customers to payment mechanisms and storefronts outside of apps and the traditional in-app purchase system. However, Epic criticized the announcement for lacking references to restrictions, obstructions, and junk fees that Apple has implemented to counter measures in the DMA. ([appleinsider.com](https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/07/24/epic-games-is-annoyed-uk-regulator-isnt-working-harder-to-enable-third-party-app-stores?utm_source=openai))
Epic urges the CMA to prevent Apple and Google from imposing similar fees for out-of-app payments, warning that failure to do so could result in years of malicious compliance that would undermine the intended benefits of increased competition. ([appleinsider.com](https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/07/24/epic-games-is-annoyed-uk-regulator-isnt-working-harder-to-enable-third-party-app-stores?utm_source=openai))
Motivations Behind Epic’s Stance
Epic’s criticism of the CMA’s approach to digital app storefront competition in the UK is driven by its own business interests. The company aims to establish its Epic Games Store in the UK, similar to its operations in Europe, Brazil, and Japan. The CMA’s slow progress hinders Epic’s ability to launch its store in the UK, a move the company is eager to make. ([appleinsider.com](https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/07/24/epic-games-is-annoyed-uk-regulator-isnt-working-harder-to-enable-third-party-app-stores?utm_source=openai))
Additionally, Epic is contesting the platform fees that Apple imposes on developers who use alternative app storefronts in Europe. Epic argues that these fees deter consumers and developers from utilizing other app stores due to increased costs. Eliminating these additional fees could allow developers to retain more revenue without raising prices, or even reduce prices to attract more customers. In both scenarios, the storefront facilitating these transactions stands to benefit from higher revenues per purchase or an increase in the number of purchases. ([appleinsider.com](https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/07/24/epic-games-is-annoyed-uk-regulator-isnt-working-harder-to-enable-third-party-app-stores?utm_source=openai))
Throughout the ongoing legal battle between Epic and Apple, it is evident that Epic has a vested interest in facilitating sales outside of the App Store. For a typical developer, this could mean a modest increase in revenue. For Epic, it represents the potential to earn millions, if not billions, from the proposed rule changes. ([appleinsider.com](https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/07/24/epic-games-is-annoyed-uk-regulator-isnt-working-harder-to-enable-third-party-app-stores?utm_source=openai))
