Fortnite is unavailable on iOS after Epic claims Apple has blocked its release in the US

by Danny Craig  · 
Fortnite is unavailable on iOS after Epic claims Apple has blocked its release in the US
Epic Games

Epic Games has accused Apple of preventing Fortnite's return to the iOS App Store in the US, resulting in the game no longer being available globally on the platform until the issue is resolved.

The details:

  • Last week, Epic announced that the iOS version of Fortnite had been submitted to Apple for review on May 9, with the intention of relaunching the title on May 16 in the US. However, CEO Tim Sweeney confirmed on Wednesday that the app had yet to be approved, so the company resubmitted its request along with the game's latest content update. He also stated that it had received no response from Apple, despite directly emailing the company.

  • In a new post to the game’s official X account, Epic has claimed that Apple has “blocked” the submission, meaning the game is not only still unavailable in the US but also cannot be played in Europe, where it was released via the Epic Games Store. “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,” the developer wrote. “Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.”

  • This is just the latest in Epic's long-running legal battle with Apple, which began when the former sued the iPhone manufacturer over the 30% cut taken from App Store purchases. Following a judge's order to accept external payments, Fortnite was removed from the platform, and Apple implemented a 27% commission fee on purchases made through in-app web pages. However, earlier this month, a judge ordered Apple to drop the fee entirely, prompting Epic to relaunch Fortnite while updating its own Rewards program to boost sales through its own storefront.

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