The ongoing feud between Epic Games and Apple has escalated once again, with Epic accusing Apple of preventing the release of Fortnite on the U.S. App Store. This development follows a statement from Epic's CEO, Tim Sweeney, who had announced that Fortnite would soon return to iOS devices in the U.S. following a favorable court ruling.
On April 30, 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 Apple to allow developers to offer alternative payment methods outside their apps. This ruling was a significant victory for Epic, which has been fighting to bring Fortnite back to iOS and Android devices without paying the standard 30% store fees imposed by Apple and Google.
Epic's CEO, Tim Sweeney, has been vocal about his determination to challenge Apple and Google's control over their app stores. In January, IGN reported that Sweeney had invested billions in this legal battle, viewing it as a long-term investment in Epic and Fortnite's future. Despite the costs, Sweeney remains committed to this fight, which he believes could last for decades.
The core of the dispute lies in Epic's desire to bypass the 30% store fees by running Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store on mobile devices. This conflict led to Fortnite being removed from iOS back in 2020. After Sweeney's recent announcement, expectations were high for Fortnite's return to iOS, but Epic has now stated that Apple has blocked their submission, preventing the game from being released on the U.S. App Store and the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union.
In a statement to IGN, Epic expressed frustration: "Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it." This situation has cost Epic billions in lost revenue since Fortnite was removed from iPhones five years ago. In response, Sweeney has taken to social media to appeal directly to Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, tweeting, "Hi Tim. How about if you let our mutual customers access Fortnite? Just a thought."
Following the court's ruling, Apple was referred to federal prosecutors for violating the court order. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating, "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." The judge also referred Apple and its vice president of finance, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation, citing misleading testimony about Apple's compliance with the injunction.
In response to the ruling, Apple issued a statement expressing disagreement and their intention to comply while appealing the decision. Last week, Apple requested a pause on the ruling from the U.S. appeals court, indicating their ongoing resistance to the changes mandated by the court.
