Epic's Tim Sweeney: Fortnite Set to Return to U.S. iPhones After Nearly 5 Years

Fortnite is set to make a triumphant return to the U.S. iOS App Store and iPhones next week, following a landmark court ruling in the Epic Games v. Apple case. On April 30, a U.S. Federal District Court in California ruled that Apple had wilfully violated a court order by failing to allow developers to offer alternative payment methods outside their apps.

In response, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney took to Twitter to extend a "peace proposal" to Apple. "If Apple extends the court's friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we'll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic," Sweeney stated.

Sweeney's battle against Apple and Google over app store fees has been well-documented and costly. In January, IGN reported that Sweeney had spent billions fighting these tech giants, viewing it as a long-term investment in Epic and Fortnite's future. Epic's goal is to bypass the standard 30% store fees by operating through its own Epic Games Store on mobile devices. This dispute led to Fortnite being removed from iOS back in 2020, but now, nearly five years later, it is set to return to U.S. iPhones.

Following the court ruling, Sweeney celebrated the decision, stating, "NO FEES on web transactions. Game over for the Apple Tax. Apple's 15-30% junk fees are now just as dead here in the United States of America as they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. Unlawful here, unlawful there."

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers referred Apple and one of its executives, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation, citing Apple's non-compliance with the court order. "Apple's continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated," Gonzalez Rogers stated. Apple responded, expressing disagreement with the decision but committing to comply with the court's order while planning to appeal.

Epic has made significant strides following multiple legal battles, previously achieving victories in Europe through the region's Digital Markets Act. Last August, the Epic Games Store launched on iPhones in the EU and on Android devices worldwide, featuring games like Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys for mobile. Despite these efforts, Epic faces challenges with user engagement due to various "scare screens" that deter up to 50% of potential users.

The financial strain of these legal battles has led to significant layoffs at Epic, with 830 employees, about 16% of its workforce, being let go in September 2023. However, Sweeney remains optimistic, declaring in October last year that the company was "financially sound," with both Fortnite and the Epic Games Store reaching new heights in "concurrency and success."

Epic's Tim Sweeney is determined to defeat Apple and Google, however long it takes. Photo by SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg.

Fortnite is finally set to return to iPhones in the U.S., nearly five years after the game was pulled. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images.