Fortnite is coming back to iPhone: Apple forced to restore game after court ruling
The Epic Games monster game is coming back to the iOS App Store in the U.S.
After years of legal battles, Fortnite is finally returning to the iOS App Store in the U.S. following a District Court ruling that found Apple in willful violation of a court order in its lawsuit against Epic Games. The decision marks a major victory for Epic, ensuring that Apple can no longer impede competition or enforce restrictive payment policies.
The court’s ruling against Apple
The District Court for Northern California determined that Apple had engaged in anticompetitive behavior, violating a 2021 injunction that was meant to allow developers to steer customers toward alternate payment processors.
Per a report via Variety, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple had deliberately attempted to thwart the injunction’s goals, implementing new barriers such as higher commissions and friction-heavy payment screens to discourage users from bypassing Apple’s payment system.
“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”.
What this means for Fortnite and other developers
With the ruling in place, Apple is now forced to comply with the original injunction, meaning:
- Fortnite will return to the U.S. iOS App Store next week, as confirmed by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney.
- Apple can no longer block developers from directing users to external payment options.
- The company is prohibited from imposing new commissions on off-app purchases.
“This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order,” the court documents continue. “Time is of the essence. The Court will not tolerate further delays”.
Epic’s response and future plans
Epic Games celebrated the ruling, with Tim Sweeney calling it a “game over” moment for Apple’s restrictive fees.
“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,” Sweeney wrote on X.
Tim Sweeney clarified on a call with press that this relies on Apple approving Fortnite: "Apple could arbitrarily reject Epic from the App Store despite us following all of the rules. But, you know, that they would have to deal with various consequences of that, if they did."
— Nicole Carpenter (@nicolecarpenter.bsky.social) 30 de abril de 2025, 18:07
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He also proposed that if Apple extends the court’s framework worldwide, Epic would drop all current and future litigation and restore Fortnite to the global App Store.
What’s next for Apple?
Beyond the Fortnite decision, Apple now faces a criminal probe over its handling of the injunction. The court referred the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Northern California to determine whether criminal contempt proceedings should follow.
An Apple spokesperson responded to the ruling, stating: “We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal”.
the judge in Epic v. Apple has just put Apple on blast over its anticompetitive behavior. Apple is no longer allowed to collect fees on purchases made outside apps, and Apple might face possible criminal contempt proceedings www.theverge.com/news/659246/...
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren.co.uk) 30 de abril de 2025, 17:09
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