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Epic Games is seeking court intervention to compel Apple to approve Fortnite's return to the U.S. App Store.
Epic alleges that Apple is obstructing Fortnite's re-entry despite a previous court ruling in Epic's favor.
The dispute centers around anti-competitive practices and App Store policies.
The ongoing legal battle between Epic Games and Apple has taken a new turn. Epic Games has filed a court motion to compel Apple to readmit Fortnite to the U.S. App Store, claiming Apple is deliberately blocking the game's return despite a recent court ruling in Epic's favor. This development highlights the continued tensions between the two companies over App Store policies and Fortnite's availability.
The dispute started in August 2020 when Epic Games launched a direct payment feature in Fortnite, skirting Apple's default 30% charge on in-app payments. This was against Apple's App Store rules, and as a result, Fortnite was pulled from the store. Epic Games later sued Apple in an antitrust case, accusing it of monopolistic behavior.
In a major ruling on April 30, 2025, a U.S. District Judge held Apple in "willful violation" of an earlier injunction on anti-competitive pricing, apparently opening the door to Fortnite's return to Apple devices. The injunction had prevented Apple from stopping developers from steering users to alternative payment methods.
After this decision, Epic Games submitted Fortnite for review at the U.S. App Store on May 9, 2025. Nevertheless, according to Epic, Apple has remained non-responsive and has recently banned the game from being released in both the U.S. and the European Union (EU).
Epic Games contends that Apple's denial of Fortnite approval is in retaliation and an effort to bypass the court's order. In its recent court document, Epic said that Apple's move is "punishing" Epic for pushing back against its App Store policies and sending a "clear message to other developers not to challenge Apple's policies."
Epic also points out that Apple CEO Tim Cook already testified in court that it would be advantageous for users if Fortnite were restored to the App Store. So, Epic cannot find any good reason for the delay.
Apple still asserts, however, that it has the right to refuse apps that are not compliant with its rules. The firm said that it requested Epic's European division, Epic Sweden, to resubmit the app update, excluding the U.S. storefront, in order not to affect Fortnite elsewhere.
Apple also indicated that it would not take action on the latest Fortnite submission until the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals makes a decision on its request for a partial stay of the new injunction. Due to the current controversy and Apple's recent move, Fortnite is no longer playable on iOS devices globally.
Although the game had temporarily been relaunched on iOS in the EU via the Epic Games Store as a result of the Digital Markets Act, this version has also been removed. Epic Games asserts that global unavailability is the direct result of Apple's блокировка.
Epic Games is asking the court to enforce its earlier injunction and hold Apple in civil contempt for a second time. Additionally, Epic Games is seeking a court order to compel Apple to approve a compliant version of Fortnite for sale on the U.S. App Store without delay.
The result of this renewed legal pressure could have far-reaching implications for the future of the App Store environment. It may potentially redefine the relationship between Apple and app developers, particularly regarding payment systems and app distribution.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who has overseen much of the Epic v. Apple saga so far, will once again be at the forefront of this latest legal move. Her past decisions show a dissatisfaction with Apple's compliance, and thus, Epic's second attempt may meet an approving ear in the court.
