Epic's Tim Sweeney Announces Fortnite's Return to U.S. iPhones After Nearly 5 Years

Fortnite is set to make a triumphant return to the U.S. iOS App Store and iPhones next week, following a pivotal court ruling in the ongoing Epic Games v. Apple legal battle. On April 30, a U.S. Federal District Court in California ruled that Apple had willfully violated a court order by not allowing developers to offer alternative payment methods outside of their apps.

In response, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney took to Twitter to propose a "peace proposal" to Apple, stating, "If Apple extends the court's friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we'll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic." This proposal marks a potential end to years of legal conflict between the two tech giants.

Sweeney's determination to bring Fortnite back to mobile devices while avoiding the standard 30% store fees has been a long-standing issue. Epic prefers to operate through its own Epic Games Store, avoiding the revenue cuts imposed by Apple and Google. This dispute led to Fortnite's removal from iOS back in 2020, but now, nearly five years later, it's set to make a comeback in the U.S.

Following the court's decision, Sweeney celebrated the ruling, emphasizing that "NO FEES on web transactions" signifies the end of the "Apple Tax" in the United States, akin to its demise in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. Apple, on the other hand, expressed disagreement with the ruling but stated it would comply while planning an appeal.

The court's ruling has significant implications, with U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers referring Apple and its vice president of finance, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation. The judge criticized Apple's compliance efforts as "replete with misdirection and outright lies."

Epic's efforts to re-enter the mobile market have been challenging, with the Epic Games Store launching on iPhones in the European Union and on Android devices worldwide last August. However, user engagement has been hindered by "scare screens," deterring up to 50% of potential users, according to Epic.

Despite financial strains, including significant layoffs in September 2023 affecting 830 employees at Epic's North Carolina studio, Sweeney remains optimistic. In October last year, he declared Epic to be "financially sound," with both Fortnite and the Epic Games Store achieving new records in "concurrency and success."

Epic's Tim Sweeney is determined to defeat Apple and Google, however long it takes. Photo by SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg.

Fortnite is finally set to return to iPhones in the U.S., nearly five years after the game was pulled. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images.