Fortnite is poised to make its comeback on the U.S. iOS App Store and iPhones next week, following a landmark court decision, as announced by Epic CEO Tim Sweeney.
On April 30, a U.S. Federal District Court in California determined that Apple deliberately violated a judicial mandate from the Epic Games v. Apple case, which had ordered Apple to allow developers to provide customers with alternative, out-of-app payment options.
In a social media post, Sweeney extended a "peace proposal" to Apple, the company Epic has been legally contesting for years. Sweeney stated, "Should Apple implement the court's friction-free, commission-free framework globally, we will bring Fortnite back to the App Store worldwide and cease all current and future legal actions on this matter."
Earlier this year, IGN covered Sweeney's multibillion-dollar campaign against Apple and Google regarding their app store policies. Sweeney described the legal battle as a strategic, long-term investment in Epic and Fortnite's future, expressing confidence that the company has the resources to continue the fight for decades if necessary.
Sweeney's persistent efforts to reintroduce Fortnite on iPhone and Android devices while circumventing platform fees are well known. The core issue is Epic's refusal to pay the industry-standard 30% revenue share on mobile game sales. Instead, the company aims to distribute titles like Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store, free from Apple and Google's interference and revenue cuts. This conflict originally led to Fortnite's removal from iOS in 2020.
Now, after nearly five years, Fortnite is finally scheduled to return to U.S. iPhones.
In a separate tweet, Sweeney celebrated the court's decision: "ZERO FEES on web-based transactions. This marks the end of Apple's commission.
"Apple's 15-30% service charges are now invalidated here in the United States, just as they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. They are unlawful in both jurisdictions."
Apple now faces a criminal contempt investigation by federal prosecutors for defying the U.S. court order. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers emphasized, "Apple's persistent efforts to undermine competition will not be tolerated. This is a court order, not a bargaining table. There is no room for second chances when a party knowingly ignores a judicial directive."
Judge Gonzalez Rogers referred both Apple and its finance vice president, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation regarding their conduct. Roman's testimony about Apple's compliance measures was described by the judge as "filled with evasions and blatant falsehoods."
Apple issued a statement expressing strong disagreement with the ruling, confirming they will comply with the order while pursuing an appeal.
Following numerous expensive legal proceedings, Epic has achieved a major breakthrough; previously, its successes were largely confined to Europe under the region's Digital Markets Act.
In August of last year, the Epic Games Store launched on iPhones within the European Union and on Android devices globally, featuring Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys for mobile. However, the process of getting games like Fortnite operational on mobile remains challenging, with various warning screens reportedly deterring up to 50% of potential users, according to Epic's estimates.
Despite the substantial financial commitment to these legal battles, Epic has undergone significant workforce reductions. In September 2023, the North Carolina-based company laid off 830 employees, representing approximately 16% of its staff. Later that October, Sweeney affirmed the company had achieved financial stability, noting that both Fortnite and the Epic Games Store were reaching new peaks in user concurrency and commercial performance.
Latest Downloads
Downlaod
Top News
