Fortnite is now offline on iPhone worldwide as Apple denies Epic’s submission

While this time last week it looked like the showdown between Apple and Epic Games could be drawing to a close, the latest developments suggest otherwise. According to a new post on the official Fortnite X page, Apple has blocked Epic’s recent submission, keeping the game off the US App Store and the Epic Games Store iOS app in Europe. As a result, Fortnite is now offline on iPhones globally.

For those who don’t know and have presumably spent the last couple of years living under a rock, Fortnite has not been available on iOS devices since 2020, following Epic’s move to implement its own in-app payment system. Since then, we’ve had everything from Epic throwing shade on social media to court cases, but following a landmark court ruling earlier this month, it seemed that Apple had little choice but to welcome one of the best battle royale games back onto its digital storefront.

At this juncture, it’s hard to see where things can go next in the much-publicized battle between the two massive companies. If it wasn’t already clear enough that there’s a lot of bad blood between the two, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney recently lamented Apple’s submission process while also pointing out the countless Fortnite knock-offs that are currently available in the App Store.

At the time of writing, Sweeney hasn’t commented on Apple’s latest decision, but retweeting a post that simply reads “Apple continues to mock the court” offers some insight as to how he might be feeling about the developments. We also haven’t heard from Apple CEO Tim Cook, despite accusations from Sweeney that Apple has spent the last week purposefully sitting on Fortnite’s submission while avoiding calls from the developer. With that in mind, it’s anyone’s guess as to when Fortnite might come back online on iOS.

Of course, we’ll be keeping an eye out for further developments in the Epic Games vs. Apple saga, so watch this space for more details. If you’re looking for something else to play while you wait for Fortnite to return, check out our picks for the best mobile games and the best Apple Arcade games.