Fortnite to return to iOS in the US next week after Apple violated court order
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has announced that Fortnite is coming back to the Apple App Store.
There’s a new development in the Apple versus Epic Games legal battle, and this time, it’s not in Apple’s favour. The company has been found in violation of a 2021 injunction aimed at limiting its control over the App Store and, more broadly, restraining its anticompetitive behaviour and pricing practices.
Apple will now not be allowed to collect any fees whatsoever, which revolves around purchases made outside of the App Store. “Apple's continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated,” Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled.
Following up to this, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced that Fortnite will be returning to the iOS App Store next week. Sweeney also made further comments and offered a middle ground to Apple, if it meets certain conditions.
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Here’s what Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said
Taking it to X (formerly Twitter), Tim Sweeney posted, “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. 4 years 4 months 17 days.”
Sweeney further said that Fortnite will be returning to the US iOS App Store starting as soon as next week. And at the same time, Sweeney also mentioned that they can strike a peace proposal if Apple agrees to the “court's friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide.” Sweeney says, in this case, Epic will list Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop all “current and future litigation on the topic.”
Fortnite to make a return after 4 long years
Notably, Fortnite has been absent from the App Store in the US for over four years, following the Epic Games vs Apple dispute that began after Epic Games tried to work on an alternate payments method on both Apple and Google platforms. This move notably did not sit well with both companies, leading to Fortnite's removal from the Apple App Store.
Epic Games subsequently filed a lawsuit against Apple, but in 2021, the court ruled in Apple’s favour, and the game remained banned from the App Store. However, the situation with Google unfolded differently, as the company was found to hold a monopoly.
It remains to be seen how Apple will respond, but in recent statements, including one made to 9to5Mac, the company has indicated its intention to challenge the decision through an appeal. “We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal,” an Apple spokesperson told the publication.
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