Epic's prolonged legal clash with Apple regarding Fortnite's iOS availability has escalated, with Epic alleging Apple is preventing its app submission - blocking the game's return to the U.S. App Store.
Earlier this month, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney announced Fortnite would relaunch on iOS "within days" following a favorable court decision.
On April 30, a California federal court ruled Apple violated antitrust provisions in the Epic v. Apple lawsuit by preventing developers from offering alternative payment methods.
In January, IGN revealed Sweeney's multi-billion dollar campaign against the tech giants' app store practices. Sweeney framed this as a strategic investment in Epic's future, vowing to continue the fight indefinitely.
The core dispute centers on mobile store fees - Epic refuses to pay the standard 30% revenue share, instead wanting to distribute Fortnite through its own store without platform restrictions. This conflict led to Fortnite's 2020 iOS removal.
Despite Sweeney's optimistic projections, Fortnite's return hasn't materialized. Epic provided IGN with this statement:
"Apple blocked our Fortnite submission, preventing release in both the U.S. App Store and Epic Games Store for iOS in the EU. Unfortunately, Fortnite remains unavailable worldwide on iOS until Apple reverses this decision."
This setback represents significant financial damage for Epic, losing billions in potential revenue during Fortnite's five-year iOS absence. Sweeney recently tweeted at Apple CEO Tim Cook:
"Hi Tim. How about if you let our mutual customers access Fortnite? Just a thought."
Hi Tim. How about if you let our mutual customers access Fortnite? Just a thought.
The court referred Apple to federal prosecutors for violating its order. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers stated: "Apple's anticompetitive behavior won't be tolerated. This is an injunction - not a negotiation. Willful disregard of court orders has consequences."
The judge specifically cited Apple executive Alex Roman for providing false testimony regarding compliance efforts. Apple maintains it "respectfully disagrees" with the ruling while pursuing an appeal.
