Epic Games’ ‘Fortnite’ Offline on iOS as Firm Says Apple Blocked Game’s Return

Epic Games’ popular video game “Fortnite” is unavailable on iOS devices around the globe after the company said Apple (AAPL) blocked its submission to return to the App Store in the U.S., and Epic Games Store internationally.

“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,” the Friday morning X post said. “Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.”

The game maker recently submitted its bid to have “Fortnite” relisted on the App Store after a judge ruled earlier this month that Apple had violated an antitrust order. “Fortnite” was removed in 2020 after Epic Games made updates to avoid Apple’s commissions.

An Apple spokesperson told Investopedia that the company “asked that Epic Sweden resubmit the app update without including the U.S. storefront of the App Store so as not to impact Fortnite in other geographies,” adding that the tech giant “did not take any action to remove the live version of Fortnite from alternative distribution marketplaces.”

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said in recent social media posts that the company submitted its most recent version of “Fortnite” for Apple to review on Wednesday for the latest update, set to go live on Friday, as all versions of its game are updated simultaneously.

Apple’s App Review Process ‘Weaponized by Senior Management,’ Epic Games CEO Says

Separately, Sweeney has also spent time on social media highlighting fake versions of the game available for download, and said the app review process has been “weaponized by senior management.”

The development is the latest in the years-long legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, which first challenged Apple’s policy that blocked developers from linking to outside payment systems within an app, bypassing Apple’s up to 30% cut of all App Store purchases.

Epic eventually won out in Europe, as the EU’s Digital Markets Act that went into effect last year forced Apple to allow third-party app stores like the Epic Games Store to operate on its devices. In January 2024, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, which forced Apple to allow developers to direct users to outside payment platforms.