Epic Games has officially brought Fortnite back to the iPhone in Japan, marking another major step in its global fight against Apple’s App Store restrictions while expanding the Epic Games Store on iOS. Japanese iPhone users can now directly download the Epic Games Store and access Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys, although iPad support remains unavailable in the region for now.
This launch follows Fortnite’s return to iPhone and iPad users in the United States earlier this year, showing Epic’s continued push to expand alternative app distribution as more countries open their platforms to third-party marketplaces.
Japan’s regulatory changes forced Apple to allow competing app stores, creating an opportunity Epic quickly used to re-enter one of the world’s biggest mobile gaming markets.
Epic Games Store Expands Beyond the US and EU
Epic says Brazil is next on its expansion roadmap, with a launch planned later in 2026 as platform policies continue to evolve worldwide. However, Epic Games Store General Manager Steve Allison explained that third-party game support remains limited because Apple’s Core Technology Commission fees and reporting requirements still create major barriers for developers.
For now, Japanese users primarily gain access to Epic’s own titles, but the broader store ecosystem still faces challenges due to policy complexity.
Fortnite on Mac Remains Blocked
While Fortnite’s iPhone comeback continues to gain momentum, Mac users are still left behind. Epic Games Store remains available on macOS, but Fortnite itself is still absent from the platform.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney made it clear that the company will not restore Fortnite on Mac until Apple changes what Epic considers discriminatory global platform policies. According to Sweeney, Apple’s 2020 removal of Epic’s developer account continues to impact both iOS and macOS users, despite macOS technically supporting open software distribution.
For Mac players, this means cloud gaming services like Nvidia GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud Gaming remain the only practical options, and based on Epic’s current position, native Fortnite support on macOS is still far from returning.
