Fortnite Returns to U.S. Apple App Store After Almost Five Years
After nearly five years, Fortnite is finally back on Apple’s App Store in the U.S., following a long legal battle between Epic Games and Apple. The dispute began in 2020 when Epic introduced its own payment system to bypass Apple’s 30% commission fee, leading Apple to remove Fortnite and revoke Epic’s developer account. A recent court ruling sided with Epic, saying Apple couldn’t block alternative payment links or dictate how they appear, opening the door for the game's return.
The return comes after a judge ordered Apple to comply with a previous injunction and even referred the company for a criminal contempt investigation. While Fortnite had already come back to Android and EU users through third-party stores, its reappearance in the U.S. App Store marks a major shift. Industry experts say this moment may help break down long-standing platform gatekeeping, giving developers more control over how they reach their users.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney celebrated the news with a post on X saying, “We back fam,” and Fortnite announced it would “show up on Search soon.” Though Apple hasn't publicly commented on the app's return, the move is seen as a major win for Epic and a sign that Apple’s tight grip on App Store payments is loosening. Analysts say this could also empower other companies like Spotify and Netflix to avoid Apple’s fees and reshape how iPhone apps make money.
