Fortnite, the immensely popular battle royale game developed by Epic Games, is at it again! This comeback means a lot to the music rhythm game community and the active fanbase of Clone Hero. There are a number of new developments within the app ecosystem that have brought us back to this topic. These changes mainly affect the payment procedures and the rules governing developers.
Since its adoption, the 2025 Order has completely changed the game for app developers. This ruling is intended to pull back the curtain and make it a more hospitable turf for them. It allows U.S. developers of iOS apps to inform their customers of billing options available on the web. They’re required to advertise possible savings for paying directly. That new flexibility is likely to be a powerful tool for developers and it should help provide more choices for consumers.
Spotify, the current giant in the subscription-based service world, has prospered under these changes, too. The company reported that it has seen a “significant increase in iOS users upgrading to a Premium subscription.” Conversions are on the rise, mirroring a national trend. Developers are capitalizing on these openings made possible by the new regulatory landscape ushered in by the 2025 Order.
“The 2025 Order has created substantial benefits for developers and — more importantly — consumers.” – Spotify
Spotify saw the writing on the wall with consumer subscription behavior changing. In addition, they disclosed that the conversion rate from free to Premium tier on Android continues to be “fairly stable.” The company has a track record of being able to quickly deliver basic pricing information to users on that platform. In addition to this, Spotify is starting to see impacts on audiobook conversions only three days after rolling out new product features.
The 2025 Order has opened up some thrilling possibilities to developers. Today, they continue to dominate the industry in sectors such as gaming and streaming services. This is particularly timely as Fortnite returns to the market with consumer expectations and preferences changing for how they want to be able to pay shifting swiftly.
Accomplished, veteran reporter Sarah Lacy joined TechCrunch in August 2011. Having reported on seismic changes in media and platform development for most of her career. She was formerly at ReadWriteWeb as a writer and editor, and has a deep IT background in banking, retail, and software. It’s this experience that has given her a unique perspective to watch how varying rules and regulations impact the app economy.
Fortnite returns to the U.S. App Store! Players are itching to experience the exciting content and features that have launched in its absence. With this return of the game, a huge victory goes to Epic Games for winning significant ground against Apple. Secondly, it highlights the shifting balance between game creators and platform providers such as Apple.
“This strongly suggests that the increase is due to Apple finally complying with the Injunction thanks to the 2025 Order.” – Spotify
So Fortnite’s return to Apple’s App Store is a pretty big deal by itself. More importantly, it’s an indication of a sea change in the global app marketplace. Developers are taking advantage of new opportunities opened up by policy changes to increase user experience and in-game purchases. As more categories introduce different types of payment and subscription models, consumers will see more competitive pricing and enhanced services.
