Fortnite has gone offline worldwide on iOS devices after Apple blocked the online video game’s release submission. The video game’s social media pages put out the following statement: “Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.”
In August 2020, Apple officially booted “Fortnite” and other Epic Games titles off the App Store, suspending the games company’s developer account after Epic filed an antitrust lawsuit against the tech giant. Epic’s lawsuit against Apple argued that the tech company acts as a monopoly, taking a 30% cut on all in-app purchases while banning outside payment methods.
News broke at the end of April that “Fortnite” would be returning to the App Store after a court found that Apple willfully violated the court order in the Epic Games v. Apple suit. “For the reasons set forth herein, the Court finds Apple in willful violation of this Court’s 2021 Injunction which issued to restrain and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive conduct and anticompetitive pricing. Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated,” Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in the documents.
An Apple spokesperson shared the following statement with Variety after the ruling: “We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal.”
While Fortnite was expected to return to the App Store, Epic Games says Apple did not approve its submission in time. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney posted on X on May 15: “We don’t have an update on our Fortnite submission to the App Store. Apple has neither accepted nor rejected it. So the Friday update to Fortnite is now in jeopardy.”
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