Nearly 5 Years After Fortnite Was Blocked From iPhones in the U.S., Epic Boss Tim Sweeney Says It’s About to Come Back

Fortnite is poised to make a triumphant return to the U.S. iOS App Store and iPhones next week, following a pivotal court ruling, according to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. 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, mandating Apple to allow developers to offer alternative payment methods outside of their apps.

In response, Sweeney took to Twitter to propose a "peace proposal" to Apple. He stated, "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."

Earlier this year, IGN highlighted Sweeney's ongoing legal battles with Apple and Google, revealing that he had invested billions in challenging their app store policies. Sweeney views this as a long-term investment in Epic and Fortnite's future, confidently stating that Epic could sustain the fight for decades.

Sweeney's campaign to bring Fortnite back to mobile devices without paying the standard 30% store fees has been extensively documented. Epic's goal is to operate Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store, bypassing Apple and Google's control and fees. This conflict led to Fortnite's removal from iOS in 2020, but now, nearly five years later, it's set to return to U.S. iPhones.

Following the court's ruling, Sweeney celebrated the decision on Twitter, saying, "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."

Apple will now face federal prosecutors for violating the court order. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers firmly stated, "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." Gonzalez Rogers referred Apple and its vice president of finance, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation, criticizing Roman's testimony about Apple's compliance efforts as misleading.

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

Epic's legal victories have mostly been confined to Europe under the Digital Markets Act until this recent progress in the U.S. In August last year, the Epic Games Store launched on iPhones in the EU and on Android devices worldwide, featuring Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys for mobile. However, Epic has noted that the implementation of "scare screens" has deterred up to 50% of potential users.

Despite the financial strain and significant layoffs, with 830 employees, or about 16% of its workforce, let go in September 2023 from the North Carolina studio, Sweeney remains optimistic. In October last year, he affirmed that Epic was now "financially sound," with both Fortnite and the Epic Games Store reaching new heights in "concurrency and success."