Fortnite Storms Back To iPhones After 5‑Year Ban As Court Ruling Undercuts Apple's 30% App‑Store Toll

Epic Games‘ popular battle royale game “Fortnite” has returned to Apple Inc.’s AAPL App Store in the United States after a nearly five-year absence, marking a significant shift in the mobile app ecosystem following a federal court ruling against Apple’s payment practices.

What Happened: Fortnite became available again on Apple’s iOS systems in the U.S. on Tuesday, ending a ban that began in 2020 when Apple removed the game from its platform amid a dispute over in-app payment commissions, as reported by Reuters.

The return follows an April 30 ruling by a federal judge stating that Apple violated a U.S. court order requiring the company to allow greater competition for app downloads and payment methods.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney celebrated the return on social media platform X, posting “We back fam.” Sweeney has also proposed a peace deal, offering to return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and abandon all litigation if Apple relaxes its App Store rules globally. He revealed that battling Apple over the past five years has cost Epic Games over $1 billion, but he believes it was worth it.

Why It Matters: Apple has expressed apprehension over the potential financial consequences of the contempt ruling, warning it could lead to “substantial” financial losses estimated at “hundreds of millions to billions” of dollars annually.

The decision effectively prevents Apple from charging its usual commission of up to 30% on in-app payments for developers who direct users to alternative payment methods.

For Epic Games, this victory comes after a lengthy legal battle that began in 2020 when both Apple and Alphabet Inc.’s GOOGL GOOG Google banned Fortnite from their stores over in-app payment disputes. The game had already returned to Android devices worldwide and iPhones in the European Union last year.

Image Via Shutterstock

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