Fortnite Set to Return to U.S. iPhones After Nearly 5-Year Absence, Says Epic's Tim Sweeney

Fortnite is poised to make a triumphant return to the U.S. iOS App Store and iPhones next week, following a pivotal court ruling. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced this development on April 30, after a U.S. Federal District Court in California ruled that Apple had willfully violated a court order in the Epic Games v. Apple case. The order mandated that Apple allow developers to provide alternative payment options outside of their apps.

In a tweet, Sweeney proposed a "peace proposal" to Apple, amidst their ongoing legal battles. "If Apple extends the court's friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we'll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic," he stated.

Sweeney's fight against Apple and Google over app store policies has been well-documented. Epic's goal is to bypass the standard 30% store fees on mobile game revenue by operating through its own Epic Games Store. This conflict led to Fortnite's removal from iOS back in 2020. Now, nearly five years later, Fortnite is set to return to U.S. iPhones.

Celebrating the court's decision, Sweeney tweeted, "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."

As a result of the ruling, Apple and one of its executives, Alex Roman, have been referred to federal prosecutors for violating the court order. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers emphasized, "Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated. This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order."

Apple responded, stating, "we strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal."

Epic has made significant strides after multiple legal battles, with previous successes mostly confined to Europe via the Digital Markets Act. In August last year, the Epic Games Store was launched on iPhones in the European Union and on Android devices worldwide, featuring games like Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys. However, Epic noted that "scare screens" deterred up to 50% of potential users from engaging with these mobile offerings.

Despite the legal and operational challenges, Epic has faced significant layoffs. In September 2023, 830 employees, or about 16% of its workforce, were let go from the North Carolina studio. Yet, in October of the same year, Sweeney reassured that the company remained "financially sound," with both Fortnite and the Epic Games Store achieving new records in "concurrency and success."