Epic Games has accused Apple of halting its latest effort to bring Fortnite back to iOS, claiming the tech giant blocked the game’s submission to both the U.S. App Store and the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union.
In a post from the official Fortnite account on X (formerly Twitter), Epic stated: “Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.”
The dispute dates back to 2020, when Apple banned Epic’s developer account after the game studio introduced a direct payment system that bypassed Apple’s App Store fees, sparking a high-profile legal battle. While the original Epic developer account remains suspended, the company tried to circumvent the restriction by submitting Fortnite under its Sweden-based subsidiary, Epic Games Sweden—formed to support the development of an alternative app marketplace in the EU.
Fortnite was submitted to Apple for review on May 9, but after receiving no response for over five days, Epic withdrew the request and resubmitted the app with the latest update.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has expressed deep frustration with Apple’s silence and slow response, noting that such delays are unusual for the review process. According to Sweeney, while Epic had informed Apple about its submission plans in advance, there was no indication that Apple had approved them.
It remains unclear if or when Fortnite will be allowed back on iOS platforms. The 2023 court ruling in the Epic v. Apple case affirmed that Apple has no obligation to reinstate Epic’s developer account, leaving the future of the game on Apple devices uncertain.
Though Fortnite had briefly returned to iOS in the EU through the Epic Games Store, that version is now also offline, marking yet another twist in the years-long feud between the two tech giants.
