Fortnite Returns to iOS Globally as Epic and Apple Brace for Their Final Court Battle
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Fortnite has returned to the Apple App Store globally as Epic Games prepares for the final courtroom showdown in its long-running battle over digital storefront fees and platform monopolies.
Fortnite is officially back on Apple's App Store worldwide, with the notable exception of Australia, marking a massive milestone in the ongoing clash between Epic Games and the tech giant. According to Eurogamer, this global rollout follows years of legal warfare that began in 2020 when Epic bypassed the traditional 30 percent platform fee by introducing its own in-game payment system. While regional rollouts in the US and Europe occurred last year following crucial court rulings, this latest expansion brings the battle to a truly international scale.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney did not mince words on social media, framing the global return as the beginning of the end for what he calls the Apple Tax. In a recent blog post, Epic stated that regulators worldwide are closely monitoring how commission rates are handled outside the United States. The company argues that once Apple is forced to transparently reveal its operating costs in court, global regulators will reject these fees entirely and pave the way for a more open mobile ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the situation in Australia remains unresolved because Apple continues to enforce terms that Epic considers unlawful. Epic maintains that it will not agree to illegal payment arrangements and must wait for further court decisions in that region. For the rest of the world, however, players on iOS can finally download one of the industry's biggest social hubs directly, pushing the digital storefront debate closer to its ultimate conclusion as the final court showdown approaches.
Tags: Fortnite, Epic Games, Apple, App Store, Mobile Gaming
Original article: Eurogamer