Fortnite back on App Store after missing out on billions during Epic v Apple court case

Fortnite has officially returned to the App Store, but Epic and Apple are still far from friendly.

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After missing out on billions of dollars in revenue, the most popular live service game in the world is now natively available on Apple devices. Epic Games today announced that Fortnite has returned to the App Store for iOS and Mac, further challenging Apple's conduct around digital fees attached to in-game purchases.

Epic Games' blog have chronicled the legal battles against Apple and Google in a series of tit-for-tat posts, detailing the ongoing progress throughout the company's legal battles. One example from today's news: "Fortnite is returning to the App Store now because we are confident that once Apple is forced to show its costs, governments around the world will not allow Apple junk fees to stand," Epic writes.

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A while back, courts ruled that Apple must allow third-party payment processing outside of the App Store, essentially meaning that Apple has to now allow software developers to directly collect purchases from consumers in a way that circumvents Apple's 30% fee on all sales. The aim is to stop Apple from passively collecting so much share of revenue every year from game developers, or at least lower that amount.

Following the ruling, Apple has allegedly not complied totally with the rules, and now Epic is calling for worldwide regulators to essentially call Apple out on its behavior:

"Time and time again Apple has evaded the laws with scare screens, fees and onerous requirements. It's time for regulators to truly enforce the laws so developers and consumers around the world can benefit from an open and fair mobile app ecosystem."

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney had this to say on Twitter:

Fortnite is back on the Apple App Store as we head into the final battle of Epic v Apple in court. For years, Apple has fragmented iOS features and fees by territory, taking regulatory negotiating positions in secret, and intentionally delaying the pursuit of justice.

There is still active ongoing litigation in the Epic v Apple antitrust case in Australia, where courts ruled that Apple misused its market power by restricting alternative app distribution channels and third-party in-app payment methods.

Fortnite is one of the most lucrative video games ever made, generating over $20 billion in revenue in just six years time, with the figure being representative of total cumulative earnings at the end of 2023.