Ongoing Dispute Between Epic Games and Apple Leaves Fortnite Offline on iOS

Fortnite, the popular battle royale game developed by Epic Games, remains unavailable on iOS devices amid escalating tensions between Epic and Apple. Following a recent court decision in the United States that favored Epic, hopes were high for the game's return to the App Store. However, Apple has clarified the situation, blaming Epic for the ongoing unavailability of the game.

Initially, speculations suggested that Apple had globally banned the Fortnite app. In a recent statement, Apple indicated that the responsibility lies with Epic Games, which failed to submit the necessary updates to make the game available on alternative app marketplaces permitted in the European Union.

After a court ruling mandated that Apple could not block apps utilizing web-based payment systems, Epic submitted an update for Fortnite on May 9. Despite Apple's claim that it approves 90% of updates within 24 hours, no action was taken on this submission. Epic subsequently withdrew the initial submission and attempted to provide a new version, but again received no response from Apple.

On Friday, Epic announced that Apple had effectively blocked the submission for Fortnite, preventing its release in both the US App Store and the Epic Games Store available in the EU. Epic lamented that the game would remain offline on iOS until Apple decided to lift the block.

In response, Apple stated that the refusal to approve the app was due to the nature of the submission. The company requested that Epic Games Sweden, which still holds a developer account with Apple after the US account was suspended, submit the update without the US store version. This approach was intended to avoid impacting the app's availability in other regions. The "US Storefront" pertains to the version of Fortnite that includes integrated web payments, which Apple has consistently sought to prevent.

The conflict appears to be a result of both parties failing to find common ground. Epic Games regularly updates Fortnite to ensure parity across all platforms, but due to Apple's restrictions on the US version, the game remains inaccessible to all users. Apple has expressed a unwillingness to accept a version of Fortnite that does not conform to their rules, insisting that Epic submit a version without web payments for US users, which would then allow for distribution in the EU.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that Epic is limited to utilizing Epic Games Sweden for submissions, as Apple has suspended the American developer account amid ongoing legal battles. Consequently, Apple claims it is under no obligation to distribute Fortnite in the US, despite the favorable court ruling for Epic.

This ongoing clash raises questions about the future of Fortnite on iOS devices. Epic's CEO has expressed surprise at Apple's decision to block such a significant app, suggesting that doing so may lead to broader repercussions.