The ongoing dispute between Epic Games and Apple over Fortnite's availability on iOS devices has escalated, with Epic accusing Apple of obstructing its latest attempt to relaunch the game on the U.S. App Store. This follows a significant court ruling that seemed to pave the way for Fortnite's return to iOS devices.
Earlier in the month, Epic's CEO Tim Sweeney announced that Fortnite would soon be back on the U.S. iOS App Store, buoyed by a court decision on April 30. The U.S. Federal District Court in California ruled that Apple had deliberately violated a court order in the Epic Games v. Apple case, which mandated Apple to allow developers to offer alternative purchasing options outside their apps.
Epic's Tim Sweeney is determined to defeat Apple and Google, however long it takes. Photo by SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg. In January, IGN reported on Sweeney's substantial investment in this legal battle against Apple and Google, highlighting his commitment to challenging the app store policies that impose a 30% fee on in-app purchases. Sweeney has expressed his willingness to sustain this fight for decades, viewing it as crucial for Epic and Fortnite's future.
The core of Epic's dispute with Apple and Google revolves around these store fees. Epic aims to bypass them by operating through its own Epic Games Store, avoiding the hefty cuts taken by Apple and Google. This conflict led to Fortnite's removal from iOS back in 2020.
Despite Sweeney's recent announcement and expectations of Fortnite's imminent return to iOS, the game remains unavailable. Epic has now stated to IGN that "Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it."
The situation has severe financial implications for Epic, which has missed out on significant revenue since Fortnite was removed from iOS devices five years ago. In a direct appeal, Sweeney tweeted at Apple CEO Tim Cook, urging him to reconsider: "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.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 15, 2025
Following the court's decision, Apple faced further legal scrutiny. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers referred Apple and one of its executives, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation, citing Apple's non-compliance with the court order. Judge Rogers emphasized, "Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated. This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order."
In response to the ruling, Apple expressed disagreement and intentions to appeal while committing to comply with the court's order. Recently, Apple requested a pause on the ruling from the U.S. appeals court, indicating ongoing legal battles in this high-stakes dispute.
