Fortnite Unavailable on iOS Globally Amid Apple Feud

NEW YORK — Fortnite has announced that it is now unavailable on Apple's iOS globally because Apple has blocked its bid to rerelease the popular video game for iPhone users in the U.S. and Europe. This situation marks another development in a long-standing feud between the two companies.

Apple removed Fortnite from its app store in 2020, just two years after the game was launched on iOS. Before its removal, the multiplayer survival game had garnered millions of users. Players on iPhones in the U.S. have been unable to access the game since then, although users in the European Union had been able to download it through an alternative store for the last nine months.

The latest attempt to return Fortnite to iOS was set in motion after a court ruling that aimed to resolve the ongoing legal disputes between Apple and Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite. On Friday, Epic Games announced that Apple’s latest actions have stalled their plans. The game tweeted, “Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the U.S. App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.”

An Apple spokesperson clarified that the company instructed Epic Sweden, which runs Epic’s developer account, to resubmit the app update without including the U.S. storefront, to ensure the game could still be available in other regions. However, Apple also emphasized that they did not remove any existing version of Fortnite from alternative distribution platforms.

The conflict began in 2020 when Epic filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, alleging that Apple was using its market power to impose unfair commissions on game developers. While a court ruling in 2021 gave Epic some victories, including the requirement for Apple to allow links to alternative payment systems, Apple has maintained a commission on in-app transactions.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has criticized Apple’s practices on social media and called for a resolution to the ongoing legal issues. With the current climate of regulations in the EU, the future of Fortnite on iOS remains uncertain as both companies navigate the evolving legal landscape.