Fortnite Returns to iPhone in Brazil Through Epic Games Store
*Epic Games launched its store on Brazilian iPhones but objects to Apple's nine-step installation sequence that exceeds the six steps required in the EU.*
Fortnite is available again on iPhones in Brazil after Epic Games opened its own store on the devices. The store went live on July 30, allowing direct downloads of the game and other titles without the App Store. Epic used its website to distribute the store app, yet immediately criticized the process Apple mandates for third-party stores.
Apple requires nine separate steps to install an alternative store in Brazil. The flow includes multiple warning screens that highlight risks of apps obtained outside the App Store. Epic stated that these steps are intended to discourage users and limit competition. In the European Union, regulatory pressure earlier forced Apple to cut its installation flow from fifteen steps to six. After that reduction, Epic recorded a 60 percent drop in users who abandoned the install midway.
The Brazilian process sits between the old EU count and the current one. Epic has not released new drop-off figures for Brazil, but it argues the extra steps create unnecessary friction. Apple has not commented on the specific number of steps chosen for Brazil or on Epic's claims about intent.
Installation friction
The nine-step sequence begins with a visit to the Epic website, followed by repeated confirmations and risk disclosures. Each screen must be acknowledged before the next appears. Epic described the design as a deliberate barrier rather than a neutral safeguard. The company contrasted this with the streamlined EU flow that regulators accepted after complaints from multiple developers.
No other markets have yet adopted the Brazilian model, and it remains unclear whether Apple will adjust the number of steps in response to Epic's public statements. Brazilian regulators have not issued guidance on the matter.
Why it matters
Apple's choice of nine steps in Brazil shows it will calibrate friction by region rather than apply a uniform standard. Developers who want to reach users outside the App Store now face different hurdles depending on local rules, which raises the cost of supporting alternative distribution. For users in Brazil the immediate result is access to Fortnite, but the longer-term effect is slower adoption of any store that Apple does not control. The pattern suggests Apple will continue to test how much resistance regulators and developers will accept before further changes are required.
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