"Fortnite to Return to iPhones in U.S., Says Epic's Tim Sweeney"

Fortnite is poised to make a triumphant return to the U.S. iOS App Store and iPhones next week, following a groundbreaking court ruling, according to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. This decision comes after a U.S. Federal District Court in California ruled on April 30 that Apple had willfully violated a court order in the Epic Games v. Apple case. The order mandated Apple to allow developers to offer alternative payment methods outside of their apps.

In response, Sweeney proposed a "peace proposal" to Apple via a tweet, suggesting a global resolution to their ongoing disputes. "If Apple extends the court's friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we'll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic," he stated.

Sweeney's battle against Apple and Google over app store fees has been a long and costly one. In January, IGN reported that Sweeney had invested billions in this fight, viewing it as a long-term commitment to Epic and Fortnite's future. He emphasized Epic's readiness to continue the legal battle for decades if necessary.

The core issue revolves around Epic's refusal to pay the standard 30% store fees on mobile game revenues. Epic aims to operate Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store, bypassing the fees imposed by Apple and Google. This conflict led to Fortnite's removal from iOS back in 2020, but after nearly five years, it's set to return to U.S. iPhones.

Epic's Tim Sweeney remains steadfast in his mission to challenge Apple and Google, no matter the duration. Photo by SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg.Sweeney celebrated the recent court ruling in another tweet, declaring, "NO FEES on web transactions. Game over for the Apple Tax. Apple’s 15-30% junk fees are now just as dead here in the United States of America as they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. Unlawful here, unlawful there."

As a result of Apple's violation, the company and one of its executives, Alex Roman, have been referred to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers criticized Apple's actions, stating, "Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated. This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order." She also accused Roman of providing misleading testimony about Apple's compliance with her injunction.

Apple responded by expressing strong disagreement with the decision but affirmed their intention to comply with the court's order while pursuing an appeal.

Fortnite is finally set to return to iPhones in the U.S., nearly five years after its removal. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images.Epic's legal victories have primarily been in Europe through the Digital Markets Act, but this recent U.S. ruling marks significant progress. In August of the previous year, the Epic Games Store launched on iPhones in the EU and on Android devices worldwide, featuring games like Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys. However, Epic has faced challenges in getting these games running smoothly on mobile devices, with up to 50% of users deterred by various "scare screens."

Despite the financial strain and the layoffs of 830 employees (about 16% of its workforce) at its North Carolina studio in September 2023, Sweeney maintained in October that Epic is now "financially sound," with both Fortnite and the Epic Games Store achieving new records in "concurrency and success."