Epic Claims Apple Blocks Fortnite's U.S. App Store Return; Sweeney Tweets Cook

Epic Games' ongoing dispute with Apple over the future of Fortnite on iOS devices has escalated, with Epic alleging that Apple is obstructing its ability to release the game on the U.S. App Store. This comes after Epic's CEO, Tim Sweeney, announced earlier this month that Fortnite would soon return to iOS devices following a pivotal court ruling.

On April 30, a U.S. Federal District Court in California ruled that Apple had willfully violated a court order in the Epic Games v. Apple case. The order mandated Apple to allow developers to provide alternative purchasing methods outside their apps. This ruling was a significant development in the long-standing battle between Epic and Apple, which has been fueled by Epic's desire to bypass the standard 30% store fees imposed by Apple and Google on mobile game revenues.

Epic's Tim Sweeney remains committed to challenging Apple and Google, viewing the battle as a crucial investment in the future of Epic and Fortnite. Photo by SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg. In January, IGN reported on Sweeney's substantial financial commitment to this cause, noting that he has spent billions fighting these tech giants. Sweeney has expressed confidence in Epic's ability to sustain this fight for decades if necessary.

Despite Sweeney's earlier optimism about Fortnite's return to iOS, the game remains unavailable. Epic recently informed 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."

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 was referred to federal prosecutors for violating the court order. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating, "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."

The judge also referred Apple and its vice president of finance, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation. Roman's testimony regarding Apple's compliance with the injunction was described by the judge as "replete with misdirection and outright lies."

In response to the ruling, Apple issued a statement expressing disagreement with the decision but affirmed its intention to comply while pursuing an appeal. Last week, Apple requested that the U.S. appeals court temporarily suspend the ruling in the Epic Games case.