Fortnite’s returned ite! The move comes after a five-year exclusion from the U.S. App Store for the wildly popular, developer Epic Games made battle royale game. This return to the platform follows a drawn-out legal saga between Epic Games and Apple. The conflict began in 2020 when Epic attempted to go around Apple’s payment infrastructure. That means millions of players and fans in the United States can more easily access the game. This is a monumental development in the continuing drama between the two tech behemoths.
The unprecedented legal battle came to a climax last Friday with a ruling in favor of Epic by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. She ruled that Apple should either accept Epic’s new Fortnite submission or provide a strong legal justification for rejecting it. The decision is up to Apple, though. This decision would result in Fortnite’s triumphant return to the App Store. It also shone a light on a bigger issue — who should control payment systems in online marketplaces. The judge had already ruled that Apple must allow developers to pursue payments outside its App Store. This decision makes the market more competitive for app developers.
Epic Games has released an updated version of Fortnite on the App Store. As you can see, this update offers some mighty fine advantages to players! When consumers purchase in-game purchases directly from Epic, they get a 20% kickback. This offer represents a big improvement and incentive above Apple’s in-app purchase scheme. This move highlights Epic’s commitment to providing value to its player base while navigating the complexities of app store policies.
📱 Fortnite returns to the U.S. App Store! PC and console users can continue to find it on the Epic Games Store. Players in the European Union can download Fortnite through the AltStore ecosystem. This enables Epic Games to continue to be everywhere their potential customers are distributed, despite being distributed across a continuing battleground of legal disputes.
Fortnite’s re-entry into the App Store is a pretty big pivot for Epic Games. It signifies a huge splash for Apple herself. If so, this would constitute a radical change to the future of digital distribution. It further emphasizes the vital importance that legal decisions have on setting industry standards. The gaming landscape continues to move and shift quickly. Fortnite’s return is just the latest example of how developers can and should leverage legal means to fight for their interests.
