What simply occurred? Epic Video games’ five-year-long combat with Apple is not displaying indicators of ending. The corporate says that Fortnite, which was imagined to return to iOS units within the US final week, had its submission blocked by Apple. Furthermore, the Battle Royale sport is now offline worldwide “till Apple unblocks it.”
A put up on the official Fortnite X account states, “Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we can not launch to the US App Retailer or to the Epic Video games Retailer for iOS within the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will likely be offline worldwide till Apple unblocks it.”
Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we can not launch to the US App Retailer or to the Epic Video games Retailer for iOS within the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will likely be offline worldwide till Apple unblocks it.
– Fortnite (@Fortnite) Might 16, 2025
Apple was not too long ago ordered by a federal decide to halt practices which have restricted competitors and maintained excessive commissions on app gross sales. The latter was a reference to the 30% fee Apple takes on purchases that customers make in iOS apps.
This determination paved the best way for Fortnite to return to the iOS App Retailer within the US and globally – a transfer Epic Video games CEO Tim Sweeney mentioned would occur final week. Fortnite was faraway from the App Retailer in 2020 after it launched a direct cost methodology within the sport that circumvented Apple’s App Retailer fee. It was additionally faraway from the Google Play Retailer for a similar motive.
However Fortnite has nonetheless not returned to the US iOS App Retailer, and now we all know why. Fortnite grew to become out there once more in Europe final yr via Epic Video games’ personal retailer, made potential by the EU Digital Markets Act allowing third-party app shops. However Epic has now been blocked from distributing it via its personal iOS cellular retailer within the EU and worldwide, in response to the put up, although the main points are unclear.
Hello Tim. How about when you let our mutual prospects entry Fortnite? Only a thought.
– Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) Might 15, 2025
Decide Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers had discovered that Apple willfully violated a earlier courtroom order designed to open the App Retailer to larger competitors. However as an alternative of permitting builders to push customers to exterior cost techniques and keep away from its 30% price, Apple launched a brand new system that required apps utilizing these exterior cost techniques to pay a 27% fee. It additionally warned customers that making funds outdoors of the official App Retailer posed safety dangers.
“Apple’s continued makes an attempt to intrude with competitors won’t be tolerated,” the decide mentioned. “That is an injunction, not a negotiation. There aren’t any do-overs as soon as a celebration willfully disregards a courtroom order.”
Apple and its vp of finance, Alex Roman, had been referred to federal prosecutors for a legal contempt investigation. Apple requested the US appeals courtroom to pause the ruling within the Epic Video games case final week.
