Epic Games calls out Apple over blocking Fortnite approval
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Update: Apple has blocked Epic’s Fortnite submission for iOS.
In a statement, the company said: “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.”
Original story: Epic Games has resubmitted Fortnite for App Store approval in the US after Apple has met its impending relaunch with silence.
That’s according to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney who shared on social platform X that Apple is yet to approve the battle royale game’s return. The game is set to launch following a US judge’s decision to enable in-app links to alternative payment systems in the country.
“We need to release a weekly Fortnite update with new content this Friday, and all platforms must update simultaneously,” Sweeney wrote.
“So we have pulled the previous Fortnite version submitted to Apple App Review last Friday, and we have submitted a new version for review.”
Since submitting the game for an initial review, Sweeney has been posting daily updates on X, stating there’s “no news” from Apple regarding Fortnite’s review.
In response to an X user’s criticism of being unprepared for such setbacks, Sweeney stated that Fortnite’s release planning depends on platform support, arguing that multi-platform games can’t function if a company like Apple hinders releases.
Epic submitted the app for review on May 9th and according to Apple’s developer website, 90% of submissions are reviewed within 24 hours.
A long legal battle
The delay in reviewing Fortnite comes after a long legal battle between Epic Games and Apple over Fortnite’s iOS return following a four-year ban.
Earlier this month, Sweeney revealed that the five-year legal battle against Apple’s App Store rules has cost over $100 million, with Fortnite’s removal from iOS causing estimated losses in the “hundreds of millions of dollars.”
The lack of Fortnite on iOS could have had an impact of “a billion dollars or more”. Despite this, Sweeney believes the fight for freedom from Apple’s rules is worth any price.
Apple has been barred from using scare tactics to deter users from external purchases. While it plans to appeal, Epic has for now won the right for developers to steer users outside the App Store.
