Update May 16, 2025, 8:36 a.m. PT: Apple tells Bloomberg that it did not take action to block Epic Games from releasing its Fortnite update in the European Union. Instead, the company asked it to resubmit the EU update without including the US to avoid impacting other regions.
There’s still no word on the status of Epic’s attempt to bring Fortnite back to the App Store in the US.
Last week, Epic Games announced that it had submitted Fortnite to the App Store in the United States. The move followed an injunction in which a federal judge said Apple couldn’t charge a 27% commission on out-of-app purchases initiated through in-app links.
In a new statement today, however, Epic says that Apple has “blocked” this submission…
In a statement posted on social media, Epic Games said:
“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.”
It’s unclear whether Apple has formally rejected Fortnite, or if Epic is referring to the ongoing silence regarding its submission. It’s also unclear why the game is no longer available via the Epic Games Store in the EU. Before today, Fortnite had been available to download for iPhone users in the EU through Epic’s alternative app marketplace as well as AltStore PAL.
The version of Fortnite submitted by Epic used both Apple’s In-App Purchase system as well as an external payment option through the Epic Games Store.
Fortnite has been unavailable through the App Store since 2020 when it added a backdoor payment option to circumvent Apple’s App Store Guidelines. Epic is trying to use its EU developer account to bring Fortnite back to the App Store after Apple terminated its original U.S. account.
In the legal battle between Apple and Epic, a judge ruled that Apple was lawful in its decision to terminate Epic’s developer account for deliberately breaking App Store Guidelines when it added the Fortnite direct payment option. As such, Apple has no legal obligation to allow Fortnite back in the App Store.
Top comment by Hangante
Fortnite/Sweeney were banned for violating the rules, that ruling still stands. A subsequent App Store ruling doesn’t invalidate the first ruling. Apple doesn’t have to do anything, the first ruling is still in force - sweeney knows this and is trying to play victim in the court of (limited) public opinion. If sweeney wants a remedy to the first ruling, he has to take Apple to court - another 12-18 months worth of clickbait articles.
In 2021, the ruling concluded:
Apple’s termination of the DPLA and the related agreements between Epic Games and Apple was valid, lawful, and enforceable, and (ii) Apple has the contractual right to terminate its DPLA with any or all of Epic Games’ wholly owned subsidiaries, affiliates, and/or other entities under Epic Games’ control at any time and at Apple’s sole discretion.
We’ll keep this story updated as the situation continues to evolve. I’ve reached out to both Epic and Apple for comment.
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