As of Could 20, 2025, Fortnite has formally returned to the US iOS App Retailer worldwide following a public back-and-forth between Epic Video games and Apple.
It’s no secret Epic and Apple have been at arms for the previous half-decade. It was August, 2020 when the sport writer pulled its massively fashionable Battle Royale from the iOS App Retailer in effort to take a stand in opposition to Apple’s commissions on in-app purchases like V-Bucks.
After a prolonged authorized course of, it was solely on Could 1, 2025 that Epic gained out. Apple was ordered to cease imposing commissions on in-app purchases by way of net hyperlinks. Although the general public scuffle didn’t cease when the decide’s hammer fell.
Regardless of promising Fortnite would return to the App Retailer inside every week, Apple’s evaluation course of noticed that didn’t occur. Although now, after much more forwards and backwards within the public eye, peace has come to cross. Fortnite is certainly as soon as once more obtainable on the App Retailer within the U.S.
Fortnite lastly returns on iOS App Retailer within the US
On the tail finish of court docket proceedings, Decide Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers discovered Apple to have “outright lied underneath oath.” As such, the corporate was not solely ordered to forego its fee on in-app purchases throughout the board, however Apple was even thought of for prison contempt.
“Apple’s 15-30% junk charges are actually simply as useless right here within the US as they’re in Europe. Illegal right here, illegal there,” Epic Video games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney mentioned on X (previously Twitter), declaring victory on the time.
Sweeney additionally assured Fortnite would return to the App Retailer inside every week of the choice being introduced. Nevertheless, it didn’t all go in response to plan.
Though Apple’s evaluation course of claims “90% of submissions are reviewed in lower than 24 hours,” that wasn’t the case for Epic’s new submission of Fortnite. Almost 120 hours handed earlier than Epic was knowledgeable its resubmission had truly been blocked.
“We can’t launch to the US App Retailer or to the Epic Video games Retailer for iOS within the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS can be offline worldwide till Apple unblocks it,” the official Fortnite account shared on social media.
For context, Epic eliminated all variations of Fortnite from evaluation as the sport had lately been met with a brand new replace, altering seasonal content material and the like. As Epic insists on all platforms having the very same model of the sport, it means having to resubmit a brand new model of the appliance for evaluation by Apple.
Apple fired again, claiming it requested Epic Sweden to resubmit the app replace with out together with the US storefront in order to not affect Fortnite in different geographies. What ensued was one other public tirade.
As of Could 19, 2025, the decide mentioned in a submitting that Apple is “totally able to resolving this concern with out additional briefing or a listening to.” Ought to that not have been the case, whoever at Apple was “liable for guaranteeing compliance” would have been requested to attend one other court docket listening to.
Clearly, this authorized risk labored out as Fortnite has certainly handed its resubmission and is now obtainable on the US’ iOS App Retailer as soon as once more.
Moreover, now that Fortnite is on the market on iOS units, Epic is pushing gamers in direction of in-app purchases by way of its personal means, relatively than by way of Apple’s providers. When trying to buy V-Bucks within the recreation, followers can earn 20% again in Epic Rewards credit score in the event that they purchase by way of Epic’s personal methodology.
