Tag: Fortnite

  • Fortnite is coming back to the iOS App Store in the US

    Fortnite is coming back to the iOS App Store in the US

    Epic Games will use the new Web Distribution feature from Apple to let Fortnite return to the iOS App Store in the U.S. this year. For now, only inside the European Union can developers make their apps available from their websites using this method. Still, Epic says it will return Fortnite to iPhones in the U.S. by 2025.

    After years of fighting in court, things have finally shifted between Apple and Epic. The problems started when Apple claimed that Epic introduced its own payment option to Fortnite against their rules in 2020. After Apple pulled the game from its store, the differences between the two companies were argued in court. While the court didn’t give either side a complete victory, it did ask Apple to provide developers with different payment methods.

    This summer, Epic hopes to start testing this feature in the U.S. and have it available by the end of next year. Fortnite was brought back to iOS by the EU’s Epic Games Store earlier this month due to the Digital Markets Act, which now allows alternative app stores on Apple’s phones.

    While Americans will have to be a bit patient, Fortnite’s return to iPhones helps give users and developers more power over how they use their phones. Epic Games is setting up its own marketplace in South Korea, Japa,n and Australia.

  • Epic says Apple won’t allow Fortnite on App Stores in the US and EU

    Epic says Apple won’t allow Fortnite on App Stores in the US and EU

    Epic Games has accused Apple of not letting them put Fortnite back on the App Store in the United States and in Europe. The issue started when Apple reopened Epic’s developer account in Sweden, which should have let the company put its app store in the country and let people play Fortnite on their iPhones again in the EU under the new Digital Markets Act.

    However, Epic says Apple won’t let Epic’s developer account go through in the United States, and is keeping it from moving forward or even stopping it altogether in Europe, too. Epic claims Apple is making these moves so it doesn’t have to face competition from the Epic Games Store, and so Fortnite can’t come back to iPhones.

    According to Epic, Apple is using a few rules and not making it clear what they mean to slow down the progress of competing apps. Even though Apple had let Epic have their developer account in Sweden, they still haven’t finished everything they said they would do. Epic says Apple’s actions show that they don’t care about following the basic rules set in place to make app markets fair.

    Epic also said that because of the delay in the legal processes, they won’t be able to open the Epic Games Store or launch Fortnite for iOS in the EU this year. This is the latest round of a fight that’s been going on between the two companies. Epic is still working to give developers more freedom and is trying to make it easier for people to get apps on iPhones and other iOS devices without Apple having such tight control over that process. Apple has not yet said anything in public about the new claims Epic has made.

  • Epic still waiting for Apple’s approval to bring Fortnite back to iPhone

    Epic still waiting for Apple’s approval to bring Fortnite back to iPhone

    Fortnite fans hoping to play the game on iPhones in the EU will have to keep waiting. Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, says Apple still hasn’t allowed Epic’s developer account to go live, even though Epic was hoping to relaunch Fortnite on iOS in Europe this year.

    Back in March, Apple restored Epic’s developer account after the EU passed the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which pressures big tech companies to allow fair competition. Epic planned to use this opportunity to bring its own app store and Fortnite back to Apple devices in the EU.

    But things haven’t moved forward since then. Sweeney recently shared that Apple has not approved Epic’s final app store submission. Without this approval, Epic can’t release anything—not even a test version of Fortnite or its game store. According to Sweeney, they submitted their final version weeks ago but have heard nothing.

    This delay is causing frustration at Epic. Sweeney says Apple is “stonewalling” them, meaning they’re not giving updates or moving the process along.

    Apple hasn’t commented on the situation, and it’s unclear why they’re holding back approval.

    The EU’s new rules were designed to stop these kinds of delays, so if Apple continues to block Epic, regulators might step in. For now, though, Fortnite fans in Europe will just have to stay patient.

  • Epic brings Fortnite back to iOS and Apple tests new Safari update

    Epic brings Fortnite back to iOS and Apple tests new Safari update

    Epic Games has once again submitted Fortnite to Apple’s iOS App Store for approval in the European Union. This move follows Apple’s previous rejection in March, where it cited rule violations. Epic has shared that the new version was updated to meet Apple’s feedback. If approved, Fortnite will soon be playable again on iPhones and iPads in Europe through the Epic Games Store app.

    This situation is unfolding under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which allows alternative app stores on iOS. Apple was fined nearly €2 billion for not following DMA rules properly. Epic has been very vocal about Apple’s restrictions and has accused the company of making the app review process difficult for competitors.

    At the same time, Apple released a new version of its Safari Technology Preview, version 219. This special version of Safari is used for testing upcoming web features. It includes updates to Web Inspector, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and more. Anyone with a Mac can download it, including users on macOS Sonoma and Ventura.

    Together, these two stories show how both Apple and Epic are working to shape the future of apps and web browsing in Europe. While Epic pushes for more open access, Apple continues to update its tools and browsers to stay ahead. The tech landscape in the EU is changing fast, and this is only the beginning.

  • Apple faces court ruling on App Store changes

    Apple faces court ruling on App Store changes

    In a major win for Epic Games, a U.S. judge ruled on April 30, 2025, that Apple broke a 2021 court order meant to make its App Store fairer. The order told Apple to let app developers guide users to payment options outside the App Store, avoiding Apple’s fees. Instead, Apple added new rules, like a 27% fee on outside purchases and warning screens that scared users away from external payments. The judge called this a deliberate move to keep billions in profits and said Apple’s actions were “anticompetitive.”

    The court now bans Apple from charging fees on external purchases or blocking developers from linking to other payment options. Apple can’t control how developers design these links or track user activity outside apps. The judge also referred Apple’s case to federal prosecutors for possible criminal charges, pointing to false statements made by Apple’s finance vice-president, Alex Roman. Apple plans to follow the new rules but will appeal the decision.

    This ruling could bring Fortnite back to iPhones and iPads worldwide, as Epic Games is ready to return if Apple follows the court’s orders. Epic’s CEO, Tim Sweeney, celebrated the decision, saying it ends Apple’s high fees, similar to changes in Europe. The case shows Apple’s ongoing struggle to balance its App Store control with growing demands for fair competition.