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Ladies and gentlemen, gamers and gatekeepers, hold onto your controllers because the UK is stepping into the gaming arena with a Bill that could shake up the very foundations of the Apple empire. Move over, Brexit drama, we’ve got some digital markets shenanigans to discuss!

In a plot twist worthy of a triple-A game storyline, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Bill has been waved through the corridors of power faster than Sonic on a caffeine binge. This Bill, introduced back in the ancient era of April 2023, aims to regulate competition in the digital realm. Translation: it’s putting Big Tech on notice faster than you can say “nerf this!”

Now, with a General Election looming on July 4th (no, seriously, they chose that date), Parliament is on the brink of dissolving faster than a Twitch streamer’s fanbase after a controversial tweet. But fear not, dear readers, because before they go, they’re dropping bombs – metaphorical ones, of course.

Enter stage left: Epic Games and Microsoft, ready to duke it out with Apple like it’s a Battle Royale for the ages. The prize? The right to sideload their apps and app stores onto iOS devices. Fortnite on your iPhone? It’s not just a dream anymore, folks.

But hold your horses (or your llamas, if you’re into Fortnite), because this Bill isn’t just about gaming. It’s about power, control, and who gets to call the shots in the digital Wild West. Parts of it even resemble the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which has been giving Silicon Valley sleepless nights since March.

Epic Games, never one to shy away from a digital skirmish, has been eyeing up the EU’s playground for a while now. With the DMA in full swing, they’ve been itching to unleash Fortnite back onto iOS devices across the pond. But Apple, being Apple, isn’t going down without a fight. They’ve been slapping fees on alternative app stores like they’re going out of fashion faster than loot boxes in Belgium.

Now, with the DMCC Bill flexing its legislative muscles, Epic could be gearing up to do in the UK what they’ve been planning in the rest of Europe. Fortnite fans in Britain, rejoice! Your days of iOS FOMO might soon be over.

As for Epic’s official response? Crickets. But fear not, citizens of the gaming realm, for Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has retweeted a post celebrating the Bill’s passage. Cue the victory dance emotes.

So, what’s next for this digital drama? Will Apple cave like a poorly built sandcastle in the face of regulatory pressure? Will Epic finally get to storm the iOS gates with their own app store? And most importantly, will we ever get to play Fortnite on our iPhones again without resorting to desperate measures?

Stay tuned, gamers, because the battle for digital dominance is far from over. In the meantime, keep your consoles charged, your PCs overclocked, and your memes spicy. Because in the world of gaming news, anything can happen – and usually does.

This has been your digital dispatch from the frontlines of the gaming revolution. Until next time, keep gaming and stay epic. Scotty McG, signing off.