After nearly five years of absence, Fortnite has officially returned to the iOS App Store in the U.S., marking a major victory for Epic Games in its long-running battle against Apple’s App Store policies. The game, which was removed in August 2020 due to Epic’s attempt to bypass Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases, is now available for iPhones and iPads, alongside its European relaunch via the Epic Games Store and AltStore. This was previously announced, but limited to the UK.
The return follows a key court ruling in the Epic Games vs. Apple case, where a California District Court found Apple in willful violation of a 2021 injunction that aimed to curb its anticompetitive practices. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney celebrated the decision, declaring an end to the “Apple Tax”, which had long restricted developers from offering alternative payment methods.
With Fortnite back on iOS, players can now download the game via the Apple App Store, though it requires at least 4GB of RAM and iOS 17.6 or later. Epic has also introduced a new promotion, offering 20% back in Epic Rewards for purchases made through its own payment system, further reinforcing its stance against Apple’s previous restrictions.
