Fortnite is free from Apple’s clutches and will return to iOS in the United States!
Nearly five long years have passed since Fortnite was last available on iOS in the United States. In August 2020, Apple banned the application from its platforms due to Epic Games' attempt to circumvent Apple's in-app purchase cut.
Following a court ruling and official word from Epic CEO Tim Sweeney, Fortnite will return to iOS in the US sometime next week. It appears Epic Games has temporarily won the war that has spanned nearly half a decade.
Tim Sweeney says Fortnite will return to iOS in the US next week
As stated by the Epic Games CEO, the so-called "Apple Tax" is now history, meaning the platform's 15-30% cut of all in-app purchases is no longer in effect. To provide more context, purchases made in Fortnite on iOS were subject to an additional fee due to this tax.
After publishing the above post on 'X' on April 30, Sweeney followed with confirmation that Fortnite would return to iOS sometime during the first week of May. While it is unclear which day, the fact remains that Fortnite's nearly five-year absence is coming to an end.
"We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week. Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court's friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we'll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic."
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How did Epic Games win the legal battle?
This lengthy and hard-fought dispute officially concluded this week. According to CNBC, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez found Apple Vice President Alex Roman "outright lied" to the court regarding the company's decision to impose a 27% fee on some App Store purchases.
Regardless of Fortnite's long-awaited return to Apple iOS, which has already happened in Europe, Sweeney called this court ruling a win for all app developers. Additionally, the Epic Games CEO presents a "peace proposal" to Apple, campaigning for the organization to extend the court's friction-free, tax-free framework worldwide.
If Apple is complicit, Epic Games will drop its future litigation on this topic. While we don't anticipate Apple will comply or even acknowledge this proposal, the fact remains that Epic can call this a win.
How are Fortnite players reacting to the game's return to iOS?
The response from fans has been overwhelmingly positive. Reddit user SandwitchZebra summarized the ruling, but remains cautious regarding whether this will stick or if there could be some "fine print."
Before its ban, Fortnite on iOS had over 100 million players and was flourishing. However, many years and seasons have passed since then. It will be interesting to see what Epic Games has in store for mobile players with the game returning so soon.
For reference, Epic Games introduced the Katalina Skin for those who installed Fortnite on iOS and completed specific Quests. Ultimately, we will find out for sure next week.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for more Fortnite and esports news!
