Apple granted approval for the Epic Games title Fortnite on Tuesday, reinstating the first-person shooter game to the U.S. App Store, five years after its removal.
Fortnite was removed from the App Store in 2020 after Epic modified its game online to facilitate direct payments, bypassing Apple’s in-app payment system, which charges fees of up to 30%. This action provoked Apple’s ire and initiated a prolonged legal dispute.
Epic wins legal battle against Apple
Last month, Epic achieved a legal victory when a judge determined that Apple could not impose a commission on apps that link to external payment options, nor could it dictate the appearance of those links. Epic announced last week that it had submitted Fortnite to the U.S. App Store. To be reinstated, Fortnite needed to successfully navigate the App Review process, where Apple employees evaluate new apps or updates to ensure compliance with the company’s standards.
Apple had prolonged its approval process for the app since May 9, when Epic first submitted it. Last week, Epic initiated a legal challenge, and on Monday, a judge mandated that Apple must clarify why Fortnite had not yet received approval or reach a resolution with Epic regarding the game’s status.
Apple is contesting the recent court ruling and is seeking a temporary halt to reverse changes the company has implemented in the App Store as a result. An Apple spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The ruling from last month prompted significant app developers like Amazon and Spotify to modify their applications to support links for purchasing content. For instance, users can now acquire Kindle books directly within the Kindle app on an iPhone.
Amazon and Spotify successfully updated their existing apps, which had previously received approval, with modifications permitted by last month’s ruling. Following Epic’s lawsuit against Apple, the iPhone manufacturer terminated Epic’s developer account in addition to removing Fortnite from the platform.
Epic managed to obtain a European developer account and is now providing Fortnite in Europe via a third-party app store under the Digital Markets Act, which came into effect last year.
