Fortnite Returns to the App Store Worldwide as Epic Signals 'Final Battle' With Apple

Source: MacRumors

Fortnite is back on the App Store in every country except Australia, Epic Games announced today, marking what the company calls the “final battle” in its long‑running legal dispute with Apple.

Epic’s Worldwide Rollout

Epic said the decision to push Fortnite back onto iOS globally was prompted by Apple’s own statements to the U.S. Supreme Court, in which Apple acknowledged that “regulators around the world are watching this case to determine what commission rate Apple may charge on covered purchases in huge markets outside the United States.”

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney framed the move as a strategic provocation, writing on X that the return marks “the beginning of the end of the Apple Tax worldwide.”

The reinstatement follows Fortnite’s return to the U.S. App Store in May 2025 after nearly five years off the platform. That comeback was forced after District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers threatened to require the Apple official overseeing app decisions to appear in court, prompting Apple to approve the submission. Today’s worldwide rollout extends that comeback to most remaining markets, with Epic expressing confidence that an upcoming court‑ordered transparency process will expose what the company calls Apple’s “junk fees.”

Legal Background

• A stay that had allowed Apple to pause compliance with rulings on App Store fees was reversed, sending the case back to Judge Gonzalez Rogers to determine what commission Apple can charge on purchases made via external links, if any.
• Apple is expected to be forced to disclose how it calculates its App Store fees, a move Epic believes will lead governments worldwide to reject “junk fees.”

Epic’s Position

Epic said it will “continue to challenge Apple’s anticompetitive App Store practices of banning alternative app stores and competition in payments,” pointing to regulatory momentum in Japan, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. The company alleges that Apple has “evaded the laws with scare screens, fees and onerous requirements” in each of those jurisdictions.

Tags

• Apple Antitrust
• App Store
• Australia
• Epic Games
• Epic Games vs. Apple

This article first appeared on MacRumors.com.