The Apple-Epic Games legal battle has perhaps been one of the higher-profile tech dramas in recent memory. It was largely a win in court for Fortnite, and served to spark the opening of Apple’s closed garden on regions like Europe. The battle is still not completely done, but Epic has just been handed another win, because Fortnite is back on the App Store.
Fortnite is once again available for download on the iOS App Store in the United States, as Apple has approved the app’s listing. This marks the first time iPhone and iPad users in the United States can officially access the game through Apple’s marketplace since its contentious removal in August 2020. It’s been a whopping five years and millions of dollars spent on legal fees, but this was one of Epic’s primary objectives, and it finally achieved it.
Apple had reportedly not intended to allow Fortnite back onto its marketplace, but pressure by the court seemingly got Apple to bend the knee. The judge reportedly looked to bring the Apple official responsible for App Store decisions to appear in court, and this was apparently enough to get Apple to approve the app, perhaps to get the judge to ease off. Fortnite for iOS never actually went away, but you couldn’t download it from the Apple App Store but rather through Epic’s alternative Games Store. This meant that iPhones in regions like Europe could enjoy the game, but US iPhones couldn’t. Now that it’s back on the App Store, you can download and play the game from your phone like any other game.
Notably, the version of the game on the App Store retains the option for players to purchase in-app currency, V-Bucks, directly through the Epic Games website. This means that, for these transactions, Apple will not receive its customary App Store commission, the key point of contention that led to Fortnite’s initial ban—and legal battle—when Epic implemented a direct payment system in 2020 to bypass Apple’s fees.
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While this is yet another win for Epic Games, and the main lawsuit came to a conclusion with Apple being ordered to tolerate apps with third-party billing methods, the wider legal battle is not completely over yet. But things aren’t panning out well for Apple at all, as courts are finding the company has acted in bad faith and has abused its position in an anticompetitive manner. Apple is now being forced to allow out-of-app purchases without commission fees, and Fortnite is taking full advantage of this.
Fortnite is now available on the App Store, so make sure to download it and play a few rounds of officially-supported battle royale.
Source: MacRumors
