**UPDATE: After a legal victory on Tuesday, Fortnite returns to the App Store in the U.S.
Fortnite is once again unavailable on iPhones and iPads worldwide after Apple blocked the game’s latest submission to the App Store in the U.S. and European Union. Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite, confirmed on Friday that Apple’s decision has prevented the update from going live, making the game unplayable on iOS devices.
“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,” the Fortnite X account posted. Epic said the game will remain offline on iOS until Apple unblocks it.
Fortnite X post (Photo: X.com)
Apple, in a statement to the Associated Press, said it had requested that Epic Sweden resubmit the app without the U.S. storefront to avoid disrupting availability in other regions. The company added that it did not remove the live version from alternative distribution platforms.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney criticized Apple’s review process, accusing the company of using it to block competition. On social media, he argued that a fast-moving game like Fortnite can’t operate if platforms delay updates for strategic reasons.
This isn’t the first time Fortnite has been blocked on iPhones. In 2020, Apple removed the game after Epic added a direct payment option that bypassed Apple’s 30% commission fee, sparking a legal battle.
(Photo: Epic Games)
Epic filed a lawsuit, claiming Apple was running an illegal monopoly through its App Store. In 2021, a federal judge ruled that Apple must allow developers to link to outside payment systems, though most of Epic’s claims were rejected. Apple later appealed, but the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case in January 2024.
More recently, Apple was found in civil contempt by a judge for failing to comply with the earlier ruling. The court barred Apple from collecting commissions on third-party payment systems, which cleared the way for Fortnite’s return to the App Store, but this latest setback has halted that progress.
Epic has submitted multiple updates to Apple in recent weeks, but the company says its latest version, sent on May 9, has gone unanswered. The delay has forced Epic to pull the previous submission and resubmit a new build, hoping for approval in time to meet Fortnite’s regular update schedule.
Although Fortnite had returned to the European App Store last year due to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, Apple’s recent move has again stalled its availability. Epic was preparing to launch the game through its own iOS store in the EU, which Apple approved in 2023.
Epic has now filed a motion in U.S. court asking for Apple to be held in contempt, calling the block “blatant retaliation” for exposing anticompetitive behavior.
For now, Fortnite fans using iOS devices will have to wait, as the legal and regulatory battle between Apple and Epic Games continues.
Apple has always been anti-competitive — just like the other giant of the computer industry
Just back for a daily entry in the giveaway
One more time
And again.
thats wrong. why apple ? why?
Apple doing Apple things as always
More than half of US users use Apple, yet more than 70% of world wide users use Android!
Apple dropping the ball again, in the end everyone makes money, why block Epic? Fortnite is a guaranteed profit.
Shame that Apple is blocking Epic yet again! Fortnite makes plenty of money for both companies
Haven’t used it.
Apple is petty