Fortnite is returning to the App Store globally, a year after its US comeback
Source: Engadget
Global return of Fortnite to the App Store
Fortnite is back on the App Store globally, with the sole exception of Australia. The battle‑royale game returned to the US App Store last year after a nearly five‑year ban that resulted from Epic’s ongoing legal dispute with Apple.
Epic indicated confidence that shifting political winds would allow the game to become installable again on most iOS devices. The company is counting on U.S. federal courts to compel Apple to disclose the operational costs behind its App Store fees, arguing that “once Apple is forced to show its costs, governments around the world will not allow Apple junk fees to stand.”
Recent developments at Epic Games
- In March, Epic announced it would lay off roughly a quarter of its workforce, citing a downturn in Fortnite engagement.
- Several game modes have been discontinued, including Fortnite Ballistic and Festival Battle Stage.
- The Rocket Racing mode is scheduled to be removed in October.
CEO Tim Sweeney emphasized that the company is still in the early stages of rebuilding its mobile presence:
“We’re only in the early stages of returning to mobile and optimizing Fortnite for the world’s billions of smartphones; and in being the industry’s vanguard we have taken a lot of bullets in a battle which is only in the early days of paying off for ourselves and all developers.”
Situation in Australia
Epic says the game remains unavailable in Australia because Apple continues to enforce developer terms that the publisher deems illegal. According to Epic, Australian courts have found many of Apple’s developer terms unlawful, yet Apple still enforces them. Epic is asking the court to halt Apple’s alleged unlawful conduct and to issue orders that would benefit all app developers and iOS users.