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Fortnite Returns, Australia Stays Out
Fortnite returned to the iOS App Store in multiple regions after Epic Games said its long legal dispute with Apple is in the "final battle" phase, with Australia remaining the lone exception.
“Fortnite is back on the iOS App Store in multiple regions after Epic Games stated that its long legal dispute with Apple is in the "final battle" phase.”
Epic said Apple informed the U.S. Supreme Court that "regulators around the world are watching this case to determine what commission rate Apple may charge on covered purchases in huge markets outside the United States."
The dispute began in 2020 when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store after Epic allowed external payment options that would undercut the App Store's fees.
Epic said Fortnite remains unavailable on iOS in Australia because it is blocked by what it calls an "illegal payment arrangement with Apple."
Epic Frames App Store Fees
Epic said it relaunched Fortnite out of confidence that Apple will have to be more transparent about the fees it charges on its storefront moving forward.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said, "Fortnite is back on the Apple App Store as we head into the final battle of Epic v Apple in court," and he argued that Apple has fragmented iOS features and fees by territory while "intentionally delaying the pursuit of justice."
Epic also said it will continue to challenge what it calls Apple’s anticompetitive App Store practices of banning alternative app stores and competition in payments.
In Australia, Epic said it won its court case, where "the Court found many of Apple’s developer terms are unlawful, and yet Apple continues to enforce those terms."
What Comes Next for Developers
Epic said it believes a US federal court will force Apple "to be transparent about how it charges its App Store fees" and that it is "confident that once Apple is forced to show its costs, governments around the world will not allow Apple junk fees to stand."
“Fortnite returned to the US App Store in May 2025 after a judge in California ruled that Apple's behavior toward web transactions was in bad faith and anticompetitive.”
The company linked its return to momentum from regulators passing laws in Japan, the European Union and the United Kingdom, while it said Apple has evaded those laws with "scare screens, fees and onerous requirements."
CNET reported that Epic sued Apple in August 2020 over Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases and that Fortnite returned to the US App Store in May 2025 after a judge in California ruled Apple’s behavior toward web transactions was in bad faith and anticompetitive.
IGN said Epic’s mobile fight is aimed at avoiding the "now standard 30% store fee" by directing players to its own mobile store, the Epic Games Store, without Apple and Google getting in the way.