Epic says Apple has blocked Fortnite's App Store submission - game now offline worldwide on iOS

[midian182]

What just happened? Epic Games' five-year-long fight with Apple isn't showing signs of ending. The company says that Fortnite, which was supposed to return to iOS devices in the US last week, had its submission blocked by Apple. Moreover, the Battle Royale game is now offline worldwide "until Apple unblocks it."

A post on the official Fortnite X account states, "Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it."

Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.

– Fortnite (@Fortnite) May 16, 2025

Apple was recently ordered by a federal judge to halt practices that have limited competition and maintained high commissions on app sales. The latter was a reference to the 30% commission Apple takes on purchases that consumers make in iOS apps.

This decision paved the way for Fortnite to return to the iOS App Store in the US and globally – a move Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said would happen last week. Fortnite was removed from the App Store in 2020 after it introduced a direct payment method in the game that circumvented Apple's App Store commission. It was also removed from the Google Play Store for the same reason.

But Fortnite has still not returned to the US iOS App Store, and now we know why. Fortnite became available again in Europe last year through Epic Games' own store, made possible by the EU Digital Markets Act permitting third-party app stores. But Epic has now been blocked from distributing it through its own iOS mobile store in the EU and worldwide, according to the post, though the details are unclear.

Hi Tim. How about if you let our mutual customers access Fortnite? Just a thought.

– Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 15, 2025

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers had found that Apple willfully violated a previous court order designed to open the App Store to greater competition. But instead of allowing developers to push users to external payment systems and avoid its 30% fee, Apple introduced a new system that required apps using these external payment systems to pay a 27% commission. It also warned users that making payments outside of the official App Store posed security risks.

"Apple's continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated," the judge said. "This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order."

Apple and its vice president of finance, Alex Roman, were referred to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation. Apple asked the US appeals court to pause the ruling in the Epic Games case last week.

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Epic says Apple has blocked Fortnite's App Store submission - game now offline worldwide on iOS

 

[candle86]

Can we just take apples board and it's senior leadership and just told them in a federal prison for 50 years.

 

[InventedStick]

People still play fortnite ?

 

[mgwerner]

Finally, some crApple news that is worth seeing.

 

[dangh]

People still play fortnite ?

Even worse, people still play roblox, lol and wow... /s

People play what they want. There is no reason why they shouldn't, whatever you're thinking of those games. The real issue here was something totally different, though.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I think apple is within its rights to let people know that side loading stores/apps opens them up to malware etc.

They need to cut the crap with the sandbagging though.

Tim Cook is probably furiously arranging a million dollar a plate Happy Meal banquet with Trump hoping to get an EO that gives Apple air cover...

 

[YouShallNotPass]

Just Apple doing Apple things. No surprise here.

 

[Dreadcthulhu]

People still play fortnite ?

My 12 year old son plays it pretty often (on a PC mind you, no iDevices in my house), mostly because his friends and cousins play it too.

But the number of players is not what is at stake here; Apple has been hit with legal charges for violating both US anti-trust laws and EU Digital marketplace laws and is apparently still blatantly ignoring court orders.

Can we just take apples board and it's senior leadership and just told them in a federal prison for 50 years.

Well, they are violating European laws too, so how about 25 years in federal prison, 25 years in an EU prison to split the difference. And make sure it is a French prison, not the cushy Scandinavian ones lol.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Epic hasn’t said WHY they’re blocked… which leads one to believe that perhaps Apple isn’t the sole party to blame here…

I’m guessing they tried to sneak something “extra” into the game that Apple didn’t like… maybe a message advertising some anti-Apple manifesto? Perhaps we withhold our opinions until we have at least a comment from both sides….

 

[m4a4]

Epic hasn’t said WHY they’re blocked… which leads one to believe that perhaps Apple isn’t the sole party to blame here…

I’m guessing they tried to sneak something “extra” into the game that Apple didn’t like… maybe a message advertising some anti-Apple manifesto? Perhaps we withhold our opinions until we have at least a comment from both sides….

Honestly, at this point (and after dealing with Apple myself), I wouldn't be surprised if Apple probably just didn't bother listing a reason (at least, beyond something vague). If they list a reason, then they have to be more consistent with why lol

Just think of Youtube and how vague we've all heard they can get with their content moderation. Big company, no respect for people beneath them.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Honestly, at this point (and after dealing with Apple myself), I wouldn't be surprised if Apple probably just didn't bother listing a reason (at least, beyond something vague). If they list a reason, then they have to be more consistent with why lol

Just think of Youtube and how vague we've all heard they can get with their content moderation. Big company, no respect for people beneath them.

Yeah - but I’m pretty sure Epic knows why… if they don’t say, then there’s something “fishy” going on… bad as Apple is, it’s not like Epic are a bunch of saints…

 

[m4a4]

Yeah - but I’m pretty sure Epic knows why… if they don’t say, then there’s something “fishy” going on… bad as Apple is, it’s not like Epic are a bunch of saints…

Maybe, but that also leaves them open for Apple to go "um, actually" if it really was something unrelated.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Maybe, but that also leaves them open for Apple to go "um, actually" if it really was something unrelated.

Which is why we should reserve judgment until AFTER we hear from them...

 

[MSIGamer]

Tim Cook is such a weak guy. He never responds to any criticism, just post random Apple bs nobody cares about as if there are no problems.

 

[Axeia]

Unless there was actually a good reason I hope they trace this decision to someone high up in the chain and get them to do prison time.
This behaviour of companies is unlikely to change unless people making the decisions are starting to be held accountable. As long as fines don't affect the bottom line negatively companies have little incentive to obey laws and regulations.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Trillion dollar company vs multi-billion dollar company… I hope they both suffer…

 

[pnntmp]

Apparently Apple doesn't want to lose money in the interim before the judge order is appealed and (eventually)repealed.

If some people manage to buy apps through external stores and then the ruling is repealed, that would probably open an interesting can of worms .. and a true gold mine for lawyers.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Yeah - but I’m pretty sure Epic knows why… if they don’t say, then there’s something “fishy” going on… bad as Apple is, it’s not like Epic are a bunch of saints…

Do they though? Apple doesn't always tell you, or tell you the REAL reason.

Epic is garbage but Apple is truly scum, I dont give apple the benefit of the doubt here. They've fought tooth and nail against external publishing since day 1.

 

[Dreadcthulhu]

Apparently Apple doesn't want to lose money in the interim before the judge order is appealed and (eventually)repealed.

If some people manage to buy apps through external stores and then the ruling is repealed, that would probably open an interesting can of worms .. and a true gold mine for lawyers.

That is an awfully large assumption that this court order will eventually end up being repealed; Apple's executives have not been making many friends in the courts lately.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Do they though? Apple doesn't always tell you, or tell you the REAL reason.

Epic is garbage but Apple is truly scum, I dont give apple the benefit of the doubt here. They've fought tooth and nail against external publishing since day 1.

Epic isn't stupid... there's no way they'd not know exactly why Apple has blocked them... whether it's Apple's "fault" or theirs... or... more likely... a bit of both... we might never know.

 

[brucek]

After reading the judge's comments, if I was the Apple executive signing off on this block, I'd want to be really really really sure my denial was on incredibly solid ground. So maybe it is.

But if this is just another word game or similar frivolous delay, I expect it will end up back in front of this same judge, and that it may make for some good spectating.