Epic Accuses Apple of Blocking Fortnite's U.S. App Store Return; Sweeney Tweets Cook in Protest

Epic Games' ongoing dispute with Apple over Fortnite's availability on iOS devices has escalated, with Epic alleging that Apple is obstructing its efforts to relaunch the game on the U.S. App Store. This conflict intensified following a recent court decision that found Apple in violation of a judicial mandate related to the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit.

Earlier this month, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney announced that Fortnite would soon return to the U.S. iOS App Store, buoyed by a significant ruling on April 30 by a U.S. Federal District Court in California. The court determined that Apple had willfully breached a court order stemming from the Epic Games v. Apple case. This order was intended to allow developers to offer alternative payment methods to customers, circumventing the traditional app store revenue model.

Epic's Tim Sweeney remains steadfast in his mission to challenge Apple and Google, viewing the battle as a long-term investment in Epic and Fortnite's future. In January, IGN highlighted Sweeney's commitment to this fight, noting his willingness to spend billions of dollars to confront the monopolistic practices of Apple and Google's app stores.

The core of the dispute lies in Epic's refusal to pay the standard 30% store fees on mobile game revenue. Epic prefers to distribute Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store, avoiding the fees imposed by Apple and Google. This disagreement led to Fortnite's removal from iOS back in 2020.

Despite Sweeney's recent announcement, Fortnite has yet to reappear on iOS devices. Epic has now stated to IGN that "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."

This development is detrimental for Epic, which has seen a significant loss of revenue since Fortnite was removed from iPhones five years ago. In response, Sweeney has directly appealed to Apple CEO Tim Cook on social media, tweeting, "Hi Tim. How about if you let our mutual customers access Fortnite? Just a thought."

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

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 15, 2025

Following the court's decision, Apple was referred to federal prosecutors for contempt due to its violation of the court order. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers emphasized that "Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated," and stressed the non-negotiable nature of the injunction. The judge also referred Apple executive Alex Roman, vice president of finance, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation, citing misleading testimony regarding Apple's compliance with the injunction.

In response to the ruling, Apple expressed its disagreement and intention to appeal, while also committing to comply with the court's order. Last week, Apple requested that the U.S. appeals court pause the ruling in the Epic Games case.