Apple slams door on Fortnite's stateside iOS comeback
- Reference: 1747413495
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/05/16/apple_block_fortnite_ios/
- Source link:
Epic has been locked in a legal battle with Apple since 2020, accusing the iGiant of illegally monopolizing iOS app distribution and payments. In 2020, Epic attempted to flog in-game virtual currency directly to Fortnite players, depriving Apple of its 30 percent cut. Apple responded by booting the game from its App Store and the dispute has [1]rumbled on ever since .
The developer teased Fortnite's return to iOS in the US last week, [2]announcing that the game had been submitted to Apple for review, but yesterday Epic CEO Tim Sweeney [3]revealed that there had been no word from Cupertino on the game's status. Fortnite's official X account then posted: "Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it."
[4]
The Register asked Epic Games and Apple about the reasons for the block, but neither replied.
[5]
[6]
Fortnite returned to iOS in the EU last year because Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA) [7]forced Apple to allow alternative app stores on its mobile devices. While getting the Epic Games Store up and running on iOS and Android was a convoluted process, Sweeney [8]hailed it as "tangible progress for developers and consumers," though, presciently, he also said: "The fight is far from over."
[9]Cook'd: Judge says Apple lied to court in Epic case, asks Feds to mull criminal charges
[10]Epic coughs up the dirty V-Bucks: Fortnite's 'dark pattern' refunds hit accounts
[11]Epic Games starts Battle Royale with Samsung, Google over app store practices
[12]Game not over: Epic brings Fortnite back to iOS in Europe, using its own app store
Fortnite was resubmitted to the US App Store after a federal judge ruled that Apple's practices violated an earlier injunction to allow alternatives to the company's 30 percent App Store commission.
Apple had been instructed to let developers inform customers about alternative payment systems. However, [13]according to the judge , the company "thwarted the injunction's goals, and continued its anti-competitive conduct solely to maintain its revenue stream."
The ruling opens the door to potential legal consequences for Apple, including criminal investigation.
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As a result, Sweeney [15]offered to drop "current and future litigation" over Apple's alleged "tax" if the company extended the court's friction-free framework worldwide. Apple's response was to block Epic's latest submission.
According to [16]news reports , Apple is claiming it did not block Fortnite from "alternative distribution marketplaces" in Europe, but rather asked Epic Sweden to "resubmit the app update without including the U.S. storefront of the App Store so as not to impact Fortnite in other geographies."
Sweeney [17]explained that the Fortnite app requires weekly updates, and the previous version had been pulled in favor of the latest. He said: "All platforms must update simultaneously." ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/14/epic_games_apple/
[2] https://x.com/Fortnite/status/1920878504284975585
[3] https://x.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1923081155089183012
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aCe1f2bFpHz7u5rqzY8jHgAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aCe1f2bFpHz7u5rqzY8jHgAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aCe1f2bFpHz7u5rqzY8jHgAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/17/epic_games_fortnite_ios_eu/
[8] https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/news/the-epic-games-store-launches-on-mobile
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/01/apple_epic_lies_possible_crime/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/12/bilked_by_epic_games_check/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/01/epic_games_sues_samsung_google/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/17/epic_games_fortnite_ios_eu/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/01/apple_epic_lies_possible_crime/
[14] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aCe1f2bFpHz7u5rqzY8jHgAAAEM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[15] https://x.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1917716512347152499
[16] https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/16/fortnite-is-now-offline-on-ios-worldwide-as-apple-blocks-game-epic-games-says.html
[17] https://x.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1922724874264412295
[18] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Apple needs to be careful
They shouldn't have to worry about a toddler president who throws tantrums when he doesn't get his way.
Fortunately for them the courts move so slowly that even if he pressed his DOJ to initiate antitrust proceedings today Trump will be long gone (and hopefully dead and buried) by the time any case was finally decided.
Not say to say Apple isn't in the wrong here. I don't know the details, but if they're violating the law it is the law they should be worried about not the orange wannabe dictator.
To hell with spent fruit
Speaking as a atheist, I see why the apple was forbidden in the garden of Eden, it's rotten to the core.
Easy
Just stop using Apple. Arrogant control freak arsehole of a company.
Re: Easy
And use?
Apple have already been ruled against by courts in multiple jurisdictions, so it's time for Epic to get personal and to start digging up dirt on individuals at Apple, that it can submit to the relevant courts worldwide, and get real physical people thrown in jail and/or fined into bankruptcy. The moment upper management start to see inside of cells or lose their homes, is the moment other management members turn and walk away, leaving Tim Cook on the hook for all the activities these courts are finding illegal. Even Bill Gates is on record as having said (and I paraphrase) "If there's one word of advice I can give to anyone, it's don't end up being sued by governments".
No, no, sorry, really sorry but I have read the above post four times, and I still can't find any logic in it. 'Dig up dirt on individuals at Apple'; maybe such as; well 'this person once visited a gay bar so obviously....'? Seriously?
It's an interesting situation, there seems to be a group of people who have a knee-jerk, anti-Apple response. And all I can say is why; what have they done to you? "Can you show me on this doll where Tim Cook touched you"? Don't like their products, fine, don't purchase them? Don't like their business practice, fine don't purchase from them? Nobody, but nobody is putting a gun to anyone's head and making them buy iPhones etc.
I find it unbelievable that anyone purchases an iPhone and doesn't understand what they are buying into. A locked down infrastructure, yes they are fine with that, can't install 'random, maybe, malware-ridden application* for anywhere', no sorry you can't. This also means you can't install some perfectly legit application from anywhere, but that's the way it works. Tough, don't like it, there are other platforms.
Are Apple being punished for being successful and (arguably) getting it right?
* oh and just to be sure, should someone download a malware ridden piece of software from a third party app store onto their phone and it promptly empties their bank account; now tell me who will they be advised by their ambulance chasing lawyers to sue? Will it be 'scammysoftware.org' or Apple?
And you have taken the completely opposite tack. They don't like Apple and suggested weird, ineffective, and possibly unethical approaches to try to harm it. You have instead decided to completely swap the positions and ignore the fact that Apple has violated laws in a lot of countries, and that is a bit of a problem for which they do need to face consequences. Not individual employees, although the one recently cited for lying to a court might be an exception, but the company must not be allowed to continue to ignore courts. Anticompetition legislation exists for a reason. Apple is covered under it based on its massive market share and single realistic competitor. If you don't like it, campaign for the law to be changed. Otherwise, it can and should be enforced.
Apple needs to be careful
Right now, they just made the orange guy unhappy. Not the moment to give any reason to be targeted for antitrust lawsuit by the DoJ