Fortnite’s App Store return is finally here, and you can get a free reward for playing on iPhone or iPad right now

If you haven’t been keeping up with the drama between Epic Games and Apple, I can’t blame you; it’s pretty complicated, but today there’s a major development. Yes, Fortnite is back on the App Store to download on your iPhone or iPad, rolling out across almost the entire globe. We say ‘almost,’ as, sadly, if you’re reading this from Australia, you’re the unlucky odd ones out.

The return of Fortnite, which is still one of the best battle royale games, almost a decade after launching, has been coming for a long time. On the back of the relaunch, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney shared the following statement via X: “Fortnite is back on the Apple App Store as we head into the final battle of Epic v Apple in court. For years, Apple has fragmented iOS features and fees by territory, taking regulatory negotiating positions in secret, and intentionally delaying the pursuit of justice.” Yes, the final phase of the showdown is still to come, but ultimately, this is good news for gamers.

As of the last couple of years, the only way to play Fortnite on iPhone or iPad in some regions has been either by downloading the Epic Games Store on those devices or by way of streaming services such as Amazon Luna or Xbox Cloud Gaming. It was a pretty convoluted way to play one of the most popular mobile games. Now that it’s back on the App Store as a standalone app, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see plenty of former Fortnite fans board the Battle Bus once again.

As part of the return to the App Store, Epic Games is giving away a free Yeddy character skin that you can unlock by downloading, playing, and leveling up in the game on your iPad or iPhone. That’s the same reward the developer gave out for Fortnite’s Google Play Store comeback earlier this year, so the character skin is now available for fans of the best mobile games, no matter their preferred device. It’s a bit of a cheeky move, given how much Yeddy looks like the Android mascot.

A new press release also details the reason for Epic Games having to count Australia out for now, referring to waiting on a court decision in the region regarding Apple’s developer terms. As with the rest of this ongoing saga, we’ll be keeping an eye out for any developments going forward. Still, for now, it’s time to add Fortnite to our list of the best iPhone games and get back into the battle royale chaos.