Epic Games seeks a court order to force Apple to approve Fortnite for the US store

 

Epic Games has petitioned a judge to order Apple to grant access to the popular game Fortnite in the US App Store, the latest squabble in a long-running dispute over Apple's control of game distribution money.

The game developer previously stated that Apple has "blocked" its newest Fortnite app submission, preventing it from being distributed in the United States or on the third-party Epic Games Store in the European Union. "Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it," according to a post on the company's X account.

An Apple spokeswoman reacted later on Friday to the X post, stating that the firm "did not take any action to remove the live version of Fortnite from alternative distribution marketplaces" in the EU. Apple stated that it urged Epic Sweden, the game company's European office, to "resubmit the app update without including the US storefront of the App Store so as not to impact Fortnite in other geographies."

Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.

— Fortnite (@Fortnite) May 16, 2025

It's the latest spat in years of animosity between the two firms. They have argued in court over Apple's App Store regulations, notably the commissions charged on in-app purchases, which are a major source of revenue for Epic Games.

Epic Games said it submitted Fortnite to the US App Store last week, intending to bring it back to US iPhone players for the first time in three years. This shift came after a judge ruled that Apple must enable third-party apps to direct users to the web to make in-app purchases without charging a fee. Apple did not said if it will let Fortnite back into the US market.

"Apple's refusal to consider Epic's Fortnite submission is Apple's latest attempt to circumvent" the injunction and the court's jurisdiction, Epic claimed in the court filing. "Epic therefore seeks an order enforcing the Injunction, finding Apple in civil contempt yet again, and requiring Apple to promptly accept any compliant Epic app, including Fortnite, for distribution on the US storefront of the App Store."

Epic withdrew its first application on Wednesday after not hearing back from Apple, and resubmitted it with revised information to match the game's other platforms.