Fortnite returns to iPhone in Japan with the launch of the Epic Games Store, still unavailable on Mac

Epic Games has launched its Star Wars-themed Fortnite update for May, and the release comes alongside the arrival of Fortnite on iPhone in Japan.

Fortnite returned to iPhone and iPad in the United States this month a year ago. Next, Epic Games is aiming for iOS availability in another region soon. Meanwhile, Fortnite’s return to Mac doesn’t look very promising.

Epic Games Store for iPhone arrives in Japan

First, Epic Games launched the Epic Games Store for iPhone in Japan.

The Epic Games Store mobile app is downloadable directly from Epic Games. For EU users, it is available on iPhone and iPad. In Japan, the Epic Games Store mobile app is only available on iPhone.

Next, Epic Games announces plans to launch the Epic Games Store in Brazil.

“Brazil is planned for later in 2026, and we will continue to introduce the Epic Games Store to new countries as platform policies evolve,” the company says.

This is how iPhone users can access Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys in the region.

“No third-party games are available yet because the new CTC fees and reporting obligations are difficult for studios to decipher and create friction that must be overcome,” according to Steve Allison, general manager of the Epic Games Store.

Apple was forced to allow third-party app stores on iPhone in Japan late last year. AltStore PAL was previously launched as a competitor to the App Store in Japan.

Fortnite on Mac still unavailable

In the meantime, it doesn’t look like Fortnite is coming back to Mac anytime soon.

Epic Games launched Fortnite for iPhone and iPad on the App Store in the United States last May, and it quickly became one of the best free games.

The Epic Games Store is available on Mac, but Fortnite remains unavailable for macOS.

Players can only stream Fortnite on Mac through solutions like Nvidia GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Fortnite for Windows is not supported when running a Windows virtualization on Mac due to anti-cheat technology used by the game.

While there is no technical reason why Fortnite can’t run on Mac, it appears Epic Games is holding it back unless or until there is a global policy from Apple allowing third-party app marketplaces on iPhone and iPad.

In other words, it’s not going to happen anytime soon.

Apple slices features by platforms and territories to block as many user and developer rights as they think they can get away with in order to extract unwanted fees. Victory is when that no longer happens.

– Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 1, 2026

Apple killed Fortnite on Mac and iOS in 2020 by removing our developer account for violating their illegal terms. We will not participate in the stupid games that Apple plays to divide and conquer developers around the world with illegal and discriminatory terms.

– Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 1, 2026

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