Five years after his controversial expulsion, Fortnite returned to the United States App Store and did not take long to sweep: in less than 24 hours, it is already the most downloaded game for iPhone and iPad. The return of the Royal Battle of Epic Games is not only a download phenomenon, but also the last chapter of a legal battle which is still not resolved and which could leave the players without access to the game at any time.
The recent story of Fortnite and Apple is worthy of a television series. In 2020, Epic Games challenged the standards of the App Store by introducing its own payment system in the application, This caused its immediate expulsion and the start of a legal process that lasted years. The conflict revolved around the 30% commissions that Apple requests in purchases in requests. After several sentences and resources, a federal judge forced Apple to allow developers to offer alternative payment methods and cease to penalize those who use them. Thanks to this decision, Epic was able to publish Fortnite again, although only in the United States App Store, and with a novelty: now, when buying virtual v-bucks currency, the user can choose between the Apple or Epic Games payment system, which offers a 20% bonus in EPIC rewards.
However, the situation is far from stable. Apple called on the penalty and asked for a precautionary suspension which, if granted, could be the immediate withdrawal of Fortnite from the store. The return of the game therefore depends on the judicial pressure and that the changes in the rules of the App Store are maintained. Epic, on the other hand, clearly indicated that if Apple returns to the above conditions, he will not hesitate to leave or force a new expulsion. Everything is in the air and the future of Fortnite in iOS remains a question.
For the moment, Fortnite is only available in the United States App Store. In Europe, Epic has chosen to distribute the game in its own store, Taking advantage of the new digital competence regulations. Apart from these regions, the only alternative remains the game in the cloud via platforms such as Nvidia GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming, which allow Fortnite to play in iOS without having to download the application, although without the native experience offered by the App Store.
In short, Fortnite's return to the American App Store is a temporary victory For epic games and for millions of players waiting for their return. But nothing is determined: the legal battle between Apple and Epic is always open and, in the meantime, the future of the game on the Apple platform is suspended from a wire. Users can take advantage of Fortnite today, but no one can make sure tomorrow stays there.
