Epic's Tim Sweeney: Fortnite Set to Return to U.S. iPhones After Nearly 5 Years

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, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing legal battle between Epic and Apple.

On April 30, a U.S. Federal District Court in California ruled that Apple had willfully violated a court order from the Epic Games v. Apple case. The order mandated that Apple allow developers to provide alternative payment options outside their apps. In response, Sweeney took to Twitter with a "peace proposal" for Apple, stating, “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.”

Sweeney's relentless legal battle against Apple and Google over app store fees has been well-documented. Epic's core issue is the 30% store fee imposed by these tech giants on in-app purchases. Epic aims to bypass these fees by operating through its own Epic Games Store on mobile devices. This dispute led to Fortnite being removed from iOS back in 2020, but now, nearly five years later, it's set to make a comeback in the U.S.

In a tweet celebrating the court's decision, Sweeney declared, “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 Apple's non-compliance with the court order, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has referred Apple and one of its executives, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation. Judge Rogers criticized Apple's actions, 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." Apple responded by saying, "we strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal."

Epic's efforts to bring Fortnite back to mobile platforms have been fraught with challenges, including "scare screens" that deter up to 50% of users from downloading the game. Despite these hurdles, Epic launched the Epic Games Store on iPhones in the European Union and on Android devices worldwide last August, featuring games like Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys.

The legal battles have come at a significant cost to Epic, including layoffs affecting 830 employees, or about 16% of its workforce, at its North Carolina studio in September 2023. However, Sweeney remains optimistic, asserting in October last year that Epic is now "financially sound," with both Fortnite and the Epic Games Store reaching new heights in "concurrency and success."