Epic Games announced on Friday that Apple has once again blocked its efforts to bring “Fortnite” back to the US App Store. This game isn’t just unavailable in the U.S.; it’s also missing in the European Union, where it had previously been downloadable from the Epic Games store after overcoming some barriers Apple had set.
In a statement on the Fortnite X account, Epic Games clarified, “Since Apple has blocked Fortnite submissions, it can’t be released in the US app store or the Epic Games store on iOS in the EU. Unfortunately, this means Fortnite will remain offline worldwide until Apple decides to lift the block.”
Since its removal from the US app store in 2020, the dispute between Apple and Epic Games has become quite prominent, with accusations of antitrust violations flying from Epic. Interestingly, European players gained access to the game last year due to new digital market regulations, which mandated Apple to permit downloads from third-party app stores.
Just last week, Epic Games, led by CEO Tim Sweeney, resubmitted the game in hopes of getting it back online. This move follows a recent ruling from US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, which stated that Apple had ignored a 2021 injunction requiring it to open the App Store.
Judge Rogers criticized Apple CEO Tim Cook for poorly managing the situation, suggesting he directed employees to flout previous legal orders. She also pointed out that Apple’s Vice President, Alex Roman, allegedly lied under oath, which could expose the company to criminal charges.
Rogers issued a new order for Apple to allow customers to make purchases outside of the App Store and to stop collecting a 27% cut of fees charged to direct customers elsewhere, effectively removing certain restrictions on developers.
In response, Apple has appealed to a federal court in California, arguing that enforcing the judge’s ruling could result in substantial financial losses, estimated in the billions each year.
Sweeney also hinted at the complexities surrounding Fortnite’s submissions this past week, mentioning that his team revised earlier submissions due to software updates. He urged Apple’s app review team to expedite their process, stating, “App reviews should not be weaponized by senior management as a tool to delay competition or interfere with legitimate processes.”
