Epic Games Wins Ground In Apple Battle As ‘Fortnite’ Reappears On iPhones In US

Epic Games’ ‘Fortnite’ has returned to Apple‘s (AAPL) App Store in the U.S., making a comeback after a nearly five-year ban.

It was supposed to return to the App Store last week, but the Tencent (TCEHY)-backed company alleged that Apple rejected its latest submission of ‘Fortnite’ for the U.S. App Store and even blocked distribution via Epic’s own stores in Europe.

The tech giant and Epic Games have been at odds since 2020, when the latter alleged that the iPhone maker’s practice of charging a 30% commission on in-app payments violated U.S. antitrust laws. In turn, Apple terminated Epic’s U.S. developer account.

‘Fortnite’ briefly returned to iOS in the EU through alternative marketplaces like the Epic Games Store and AltStore PAL, but it disappeared from there as well after last week’s skirmish.

“We back fam,” wrote Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Apart from the App Store in the U.S., ‘Fortnite’ is back on the Epic Games Store and AltStore PAL in the EU as of Tuesday night.

“Thanks to everyone who supported the effort to open up mobile competition and #FreeFortnite from the very beginning,” Sweeney said in another post.

“And thanks to all of the folks who initially sided with Apple then later came around the winning side, supporting app developer rights and consumer rights.”

As of Wednesday morning, ‘Fortnite’ topped the ranks among free action games on iOS in the U.S. App Store. 

The return of ‘Fortnite’ to Apple’s platforms follows a legal ruling that barred the company from blocking developers who offer links to external payment systems. However, Apple has appealed that decision.

Apple’s stock edged 0.5% lower in pre-market trade on Wednesday, while Tencent’s stock remained flat. 

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