Fortnite to Return to iPhones in U.S. After 5-Year Absence, Says Epic's Tim Sweeney

Fortnite is poised to make a triumphant return to the U.S. iOS App Store and iPhones next week, following a pivotal court ruling, according to 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 Epic Games v. Apple case. The order mandated that Apple allow developers to offer alternative payment options outside of their apps.

In response, Sweeney took to Twitter with a "peace proposal" for Apple, with whom Epic has been embroiled in legal disputes for years. "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 stated.

Sweeney's relentless battle against Apple and Google's app store policies has been extensively documented. The crux of the issue is Epic's refusal to pay the standard 30% store fees on mobile game revenue. Instead, Epic aims to distribute games like Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store, circumventing the hefty fees imposed by Apple and Google. This dispute led to Fortnite's removal from iOS back in 2020.

Now, nearly five years later, Fortnite is set to make its comeback in the U.S. market. Sweeney celebrated the recent court ruling in another tweet, proclaiming, "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."

Following the ruling, Apple will be referred to federal prosecutors for violating the U.S. court order. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers stated, "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." Gonzalez Rogers also referred Apple and its vice president of finance, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation, citing misleading testimony about Apple's compliance with the injunction.

Apple responded, saying, "we strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court's order and we will appeal."

Despite multiple legal battles and significant costs, Epic has made notable progress, especially in Europe through the region's Digital Markets Act. Last August, the Epic Games Store launched on iPhones in the European Union and on Android devices worldwide, featuring Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys for mobile. However, navigating the complexities of mobile distribution remains challenging, with "scare screens" deterring up to 50% of potential users, according to Epic.

Throughout this period, Epic has faced financial strain, leading to significant layoffs. In September 2023, the North Carolina studio laid off 830 employees, representing about 16% of its workforce. Despite these challenges, Sweeney affirmed in October last year that the company was now "financially sound," with Fortnite and the Epic Games Store reaching new heights in "concurrency and success."

Epic's Tim Sweeney is determined to defeat Apple and Google, however long it takes. Photo by SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg.

Fortnite is finally set to return to iPhones in the U.S., nearly five years after the game was pulled. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images.