Fortnite Offline on iOS After Apple Blocks Resubmission

Menlo Park, CA — Epic Games announced on Friday that its popular game Fortnite is now unavailable on iOS devices worldwide. This follows Apple‘s decision to block Epic’s latest submission to the U.S. App Store.

“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,” the official Fortnite account stated on social media. “Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.”

The game was originally removed from the App Store in 2020 after Epic introduced a direct payment system to bypass Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases. Since then, Fortnite had been available through Epic’s own digital store in the EU. However, this access has also been cut off, as Apple has now blocked Fortnite’s distribution on its own store there.

Epic Games submitted Fortnite to Apple’s U.S. App Store last week after a judge ruled Apple could not charge developers a commission on purchases made outside of iOS apps. However, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney reported that Apple did not respond to their submission, which led to the game being offline globally.

While commenting on the situation, Sweeney criticized Apple’s lengthy submission approval process and noted that Fortnite clones were still available on the App Store. “App Review shouldn’t be weaponised by senior management as a tool to delay or obstruct competition, due process, or free speech,” Sweeney said.

The ongoing legal battle between Epic and Apple has been contentious, with Epic accusing Apple of engaging in anti-competitive practices. A recent legal ruling favored Epic in some aspects, signaling a potential pathway for the game to return to the App Store. Yet, Apple’s latest actions indicate that Fortnite’s future on iOS remains uncertain.

Epic Games has not provided further details on any potential resolutions with Apple, leaving fans disappointed as they await news on Fortnite’s status.