Fortnite to Return to iOS App Store in the US following Major Court Ruling Against Apple

Image Credits; Epic Games
Saurabh Shetty
2 Min Read
  • Court says Apple violated 2021 injunction rules.
  • Apple can’t block external payment links anymore.
  • Epic may relaunch Fortnite on iOS globally following major decision.

Fortnite is finally coming back to the iOS App Store in the US, possibly as early as next week. This comes after a big legal win for Epic Games against Apple, and in turn, brings back Fortnite to iOS after four long years.

A U.S. District Court on Wednesday found Apple in willful violation of a 2021 injunction designed to curb anticompetitive practices, particularly those restricting developers from directing users to external payment options.

The court barred Apple from imposing a 27% commission on off-app purchases and from using messages, sometimes called “full page scare screens”, to prevent users from leaving the App Store ecosystem.

In response, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has proposed a “peace proposal”. They said they’ll stop all their ongoing litigation worldwide and won’t push to make their own Epic Games Store on iPhones, if Apple agrees to apply the new rules globally.

This would open the door for Fortnite’s return not just in the US, but also in markets like the UK and Japan, where the company has already confirmed plans to relaunch.

A day after this ruling, Epic Games announced big changes to support developers starting in June 2025. One of the biggest updates is that developers won’t have to pay any store fees on the first $1 million they make from each app per year. After they pass that amount, Epic’s usual 88/12 revenue split will apply.

Apple plans to appeal, but the court warned Apple sharply, even mentioning a possible criminal investigation into a company executive for “lying under oath”. If Epic’s offer is accepted, this could end their long fight and change how mobile games and app stores work in the future.

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