Epic Games, which remains in a dispute with Apple over commissions, has brought its flagship title Fortnite back to Apple’s App Store.
Epic Games said on May 20 it is again offering Fortnite on Apple’s App Store worldwide, excluding Australia. That means users can play Fortnite on Apple iPhone and iPad devices.
The return was driven by Apple’s remarks at the U.S. Supreme Court. Apple previously said, "Regulators around the world are watching this case to decide what commission rates Apple can charge for covered purchases in major markets outside the United States."
Based on that, Epic Games expects a U.S. federal court to demand transparency over Apple’s commission model. It said it decided to return after gaining confidence that governments around the world will not tolerate unfair commission policies once Apple’s actual cost structure is disclosed.
Fortnite service has resumed, but Epic Games’ full-scale fight against what it calls Apple’s anti-competitive App Store practices will continue.
Regulation targeting Apple’s closed ecosystem is tightening globally, including in Japan, the European Union and Britain. Epic Games said Apple is circumventing the intent of these rules through warning screens, additional commissions and complex requirements, and urged regulators to take meaningful enforcement action.
Epic Games said it continues to ask courts for orders to stop Apple’s illegal conduct and open up its ecosystem. It said Australia was excluded from this return even though Epic Games won a lawsuit there and secured a ruling that the developer terms were illegal, because Apple is still enforcing them.
Epic Games is also giving players a free in-game item called "Yeddy" to mark Fortnite’s return on mobile.