Epic's Tim Sweeney: Fortnite Set to Return to U.S. iPhones After Nearly 5-Year Absence

Fortnite is set to make a triumphant return to the U.S. iOS App Store and iPhones next week, following a pivotal court ruling, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced. On April 30, a U.S. Federal District Court in California determined that Apple had willfully violated a court order in the Epic Games v. Apple case. This order required Apple to allow developers to provide alternative payment options outside their apps.

In response, Sweeney issued a "peace proposal" to Apple via a tweet, 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."

Sweeney's battle against Apple and Google over app store policies has been ongoing and costly. In January, IGN highlighted how Sweeney had invested billions in this fight, viewing it as a long-term investment in Epic and Fortnite's future. Epic aims to circumvent the standard 30% store fees by running Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store on mobile devices, a dispute that led to Fortnite's removal from iOS in 2020.

The recent court ruling marks a significant victory for Epic in the U.S., where Fortnite will return nearly five years after its initial removal. Sweeney celebrated the decision, tweeting, "NO FEES on web transactions. Game over for the Apple Tax. Apple’s 15-30% junk fees are now just as dead here in the United States of America as they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. Unlawful here, unlawful there."

As a result of the ruling, Apple will face federal prosecutors for violating the court order. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers emphasized, "Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated. This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order." The judge also referred Apple and its vice president of finance, Alex Roman, for a criminal contempt investigation due to misleading testimony.

Apple responded with a statement, saying, "we strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal."

Epic has made strides in Europe as well, launching the Epic Games Store on iPhones in the European Union and on Android devices worldwide last August, featuring Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys for mobile. However, Epic noted that "scare screens" have deterred up to 50% of potential users.

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