Fortnite is set to make a triumphant return to the U.S. iOS App Store and iPhones next week, following a pivotal court ruling, as announced by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. On April 30, a U.S. Federal District Court in California ruled that Apple had willfully violated a court order in the ongoing Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit. The order required Apple to allow developers to provide customers with alternative payment methods outside of their apps.
In response, Sweeney took to Twitter with a "peace proposal" for Apple, stating, "If Apple extends the court's friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we'll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic."
Sweeney's battle against Apple and Google over app store fees is well-documented and costly. In January, IGN reported that Sweeney had invested billions in this fight, viewing it as a long-term investment in Epic and Fortnite's future. He told IGN that Epic could continue this legal battle for decades. The crux of the issue is Epic's desire to bypass the standard 30% store fees and operate Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store on mobile devices. This dispute led to Fortnite's removal from iOS back in 2020.
Now, nearly five years later, Fortnite is set to return to U.S. iPhones. Sweeney celebrated the recent court ruling, tweeting, "NO FEES on web transactions. Game over for the Apple Tax. Apple’s 15-30% junk fees are now just as dead here in the United States of America as they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. Unlawful here, unlawful there."
Apple will face further legal scrutiny, as U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers referred Apple and one of its executives, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation. The judge criticized Apple's compliance efforts, stating, "This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order." Apple responded by saying, "we strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal."
Epic has made significant strides in this legal battle, particularly after launching the Epic Games Store on iPhones in the European Union and on Android devices worldwide last August. However, challenges remain, such as "scare screens" that deter up to 50% of potential users, according to Epic.
Despite the financial strain, including significant layoffs affecting 830 employees in September 2023, Sweeney maintained that Epic is "financially sound," with Fortnite and the Epic Games Store achieving new records in "concurrency and success" as of October last year.
Epic's Tim Sweeney remains determined to challenge Apple and Google, no matter how long it takes. Photo by SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg.
Fortnite is poised to return to iPhones in the U.S., nearly five years after its removal. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
