Fortnite returns to the Apple App Store in most regions amid ongoing legal battle

After years of legal disputes between Apple and Epic Games, which resulted in Fortnite being removed from mobile platforms, the battle royale title has finally returned to nearly all regional Apple App Stores worldwide.

In an official statement, Epic Games said it will continue fighting what it describes as Apple’s anti-competitive App Store policies, particularly restrictions on alternative app marketplaces and payment systems.

The company pointed to growing global pressure from regulators, highlighting new legislation introduced in countries and regions such as Japan, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. According to Epic, Apple has repeatedly avoided fully complying with these laws through additional fees, warning screens, and strict requirements.

Epic also noted that Fortnite is still unavailable on the Australian App Store. The company claims that despite winning a legal case against Apple in Australia, Apple continues enforcing developer policies that the court deemed unlawful. Epic is now seeking further legal action to stop those practices and secure fairer conditions for developers and iOS users.

The long-running conflict between Epic Games and Apple began in 2020 after Epic challenged Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases and restrictions on third-party payment systems. Epic attempted to bypass Apple’s fees by introducing direct payments in Fortnite, prompting Apple to remove the game from the App Store and revoke Epic’s developer account.

Earlier this year, Epic Games laid off more than 1,000 employees, with CEO Tim Sweeney partly attributing the cuts to declining Fortnite engagement.

In its recent Year in Review report, Epic revealed that while total gameplay hours across Fortnite decreased year-over-year, playtime in third-party experiences grew by 4%. The company also recently announced price increases for Fortnite V-Bucks, explaining that rising operational costs were behind the decision.

Despite these challenges, Epic Games reported that players spent $1.16 billion on the Epic Games Store on PC last year, while estimates suggest the company generated around $6.21 billion in total revenue overall.