Apple has offically blocked Fortnite from iOS in the United States, resulting in the game being unavailable on iOS worldwide.
Epic Games confirmed today that Apple has blocked Fortnite from returning to iOS in the United States. As a result, the game will no longer be available on iOS worldwide until Apple reverses its decision. This situation unfolded amid the game's lengthy App Store "review" process, which ultimately went nowhere.
Despite winning a nearly five-year-long legal battle, Apple still controls Fortnite's presence on its platform. It's unclear where Epic Games goes from here, but here's the latest.
Apple destroys the hopes of Fortnite returning to iOS in the United States
Fortnite's official X account broke the unfortunate news on May 16 amid the game's latest update. The statement confirms that Apple has blocked Epic Games' submission to bring Fortnite back to the US App Store. This effectively means the game is now unavailable via Apple services.
The situation began on Friday, May 9, when Epic Games formally submitted Fortnite to Apple for review. Over the following seven days, Apple remained radio silent while the "review process" remained underway.
Epic Games co-founder and CEO Tim Sweeney provided updates throughout, confirming the company has no update. It all came to a head one week following the submission, when Fortnite confirmed Apple had blocked Fortnite from iOS platforms.
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What does this mean for the future of Fortnite?
Unfortunately, Epic Games is at Apple's mercy. The lawsuit victory momentarily signified that a brighter future was ahead for Fortnite and developers who have regularly fallen victim to what Tim Sweeney calls the "Apple Tax."
In fact, the dispute began in 2020, when Epic Games boldly introduced a separate payment system for Fortnite on iOS users who wanted to make purchases. Epic's payment system would forgo Apple's mandatory 30% surcharge.
The outlook is far from positive, considering Fortnite was at least available on iOS in the European Union before Apple blocked the app today. It's now unavailable anywhere for players looking to enjoy Fortnite on Apple devices.
Mobile fans remain outraged at the whole situation
Well-known mobile gamer and content creator DuckyTheGamer summed up Apple's decision best: "Feels so bad to have the rug pulled out from under us after being this close to finally play Fortnite Mobile on iOS."
Given Apple's unreasonably lengthy review process this time around, the outcome isn't exactly surprising. However, it seems likely that there is no end in sight. Tim Sweeney has yet to comment on the blocking, but he did repost a post on X by Naval, which read, "Apple continues to mock the court."
Ultimately, we are in a holding pattern until Epic Games resubmits Fortnite for review or this stalemate somehow resolves itself. In the meantime, you can play Fortnite on your iPhone via Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce Now.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for more Fortnite and esports news!
