Epic Games has launched the Star Wars-themed Fortnite update for May, and this release coincided with Fortnite's return to iPhone in Japan.

Fortnite returned to iPhone and iPad in the US a year ago this month. Epic Games states that its next goal is to provide iOS accessibility in another region. Meanwhile, Fortnite's return to Mac does not look promising.

Epic Games Store has arrived for iPhone in Japan

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

The Epic Games Store mobile app can be downloaded directly from Epic Games. It is available on both iPhone and iPad for EU users. In Japan, however, the Epic Games Store mobile app is only available on iPhone.

The next target is to launch the Epic Games Store in Brazil, according to Epic Games.

"Brazil is planned for later in 2026, and we will continue to bring the Epic Games Store to new countries as platform policies develop," the company says.

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

Steve Allison, general manager of Epic Games Store, says, "Third-party games are not yet available because the new CTC fees and reporting obligations create a challenging barrier for studios to overcome."

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

Fortnite is still not available on Mac

Meanwhile, it does not seem likely that Fortnite will return to Mac.

Epic Games launched Fortnite for iPhone and iPad in the US last May, and it quickly became one of the most popular free games.

The Epic Games Store is available on Mac, but Fortnite is still not available for macOS. Players can only play Fortnite on Mac by streaming through solutions like Nvidia GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

There is no technical reason for Fortnite not to work on Mac, but it seems that Epic Games is holding it back until a global policy comes from Apple allowing third-party app markets on iPhone and iPad.

In other words, this will not happen in the short term.

Apple is cutting and trimming features across platforms and regions to restrict user and developer rights as much as possible, thereby charging unnecessary fees. Victory will be when this situation ends.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 1, 2026

Apple killed Fortnite on Mac and iOS by removing our developer account for allegedly violating its illegal terms in 2020. We will not participate in these foolish games that Apple plays to divide and control developers worldwide.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 1, 2026

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