It comes and goes, but this time: Fortnite is back for good. Just as the legal battle between Apple and Epic Games seemed poised to rage again, a final twist has finally cleared the air once and for all. Last week, the Cupertino company once again decided to challenge the US court's verdict in the lawsuit concerning third-party payments made outside the App Store. It must be said that the decision handed down by Federal Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers earlier this month falls far short of the tech giant's favor.
From now on, Apple is no longer able to take a commission on payments made outside of apps and must immediately stop blocking the implementation of third-party payment options. So, nothing should have been holding Epic Games back from publishing Fortnite on the App Store... in theory. Determined to appeal this decision, the Cupertino company therefore refused Epic's request pending further legal decisions: a move that also impacted the European market.
Since last Friday, Fortnite has been inaccessible on iOS devices in the European Union, despite the implementation of the Epic Games Store thanks to local digital market laws. But the negative public reaction and renewed pressure from the courts finally forced Apple to admit defeat.
Fortnite returns to our country and the United States
On Monday, the judge who delivered the initial verdict did not fail to call Apple to order, emphasizing the futility of further proceedings:
“Apple is fully capable of resolving this issue without further trial or hearing. However, if the parties do not file a joint notice stating that this issue is resolved and that the Court's intervention is ultimately necessary, Apple's representative responsible for ensuring compliance with the law will have to appear in person at the hearing scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, 2025.””
The idea of returning to court for yet another time seems to have had the desired effect, since Fortnite appeared on the American App Store only two days later. The CEO of Epic Games celebrated his victory on X (formerly Twitter) by simply declaring: “We’re back, family.”
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