"Fortnite to Return to iPhones in U.S., Says Epic's Tim Sweeney"

Fortnite is set to make a triumphant return to the U.S. iOS App Store and iPhones next week, following a pivotal court ruling, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced. 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 lawsuit. The order mandated that Apple must allow developers to provide alternative payment methods for customers outside their apps.

In a tweet, Sweeney extended a "peace proposal" to Apple, with whom Epic has been locked in legal battles for years. "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," Sweeney stated.

IGN previously covered Sweeney's investment of billions of dollars in the fight against Apple and Google's app store practices in January. Sweeney described this as a long-term investment in Epic and Fortnite's future, expressing confidence in Epic's ability to sustain the legal battle for decades if necessary.

Sweeney's ongoing effort to bring Fortnite back to iPhones and Android devices without paying the standard 30% store fees is well-documented. Epic's goal is to operate Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store, bypassing Apple and Google's fees. This conflict led to Fortnite's removal from iOS in 2020.

Now, nearly five years later, Fortnite is poised to make a comeback in the U.S.

In another tweet, Sweeney celebrated the court ruling, declaring, "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.”

As a result of the ruling, Apple will be referred to federal prosecutors for violating the U.S. court order. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers emphasized, "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."

Judge Gonzalez Rogers also referred Apple and its vice president of finance, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation, citing misleading testimony about Apple's compliance with the injunction.

In response, Apple stated, "we strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal."

After multiple costly legal battles, Epic has achieved significant progress; previously, its victories were mostly confined to Europe through the region's Digital Markets Act.

In August last year, the Epic Games Store was launched on iPhones in the European Union and on Android devices worldwide, featuring Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys for mobile. However, getting Fortnite running on mobile devices remains challenging, with up to 50% of users deterred by "scare screens," according to Epic.

Throughout this period, Epic has faced significant layoffs. In September 2023, 830 employees, approximately 16% of its workforce, were let go from the North Carolina studio. Despite these challenges, Sweeney affirmed in October last year that the company was "financially sound," with Fortnite and the Epic Games Store reaching new highs in "concurrency and success."