Apple REALLY doesn't want you playing Fortnite on iPhone
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Fortnite, one of the most popular video games of all time, is available on practically every platform you can think of. Every platform, except Apple's.
If your birth year starts with the digits '197' or lower, or gaming is one of the many dark arts of computing you've never had much time for, then you're probably sat there thinking "Why did you misspell fortnight?" In which case, here's why this matters.
Fortnite is a free-to-play "battle royale" video game developed by Epic Games that sees 100 players duke it out until only one remains. It's a cultural phenomenon, and has been since its original release in September 2017.
It's launched the career of streamers who play it, crossed over with just about every IP you can imagine, hosted virtual concerts, and, more importantly, generates billions of dollars in revenue for Epic Games each year.
It's a game that practically prints money, and for the longest time, Epic Games and Apple were happy to mutually benefit from it.
Right up until Epic Games tried to sidestep Apple's 30% App Store tax, anyway.
Since then, Apple has been providing Epic Games with the cold shoulder, blocking Fortnite from its App Store entirely. And just as things were seeming to thaw, with Fortnite on the precipice of returning to iOS and iPadOS devices, Apple has pulled the plug once again.
And this time, Fortnite is down worldwide on iOS, not just in the states.
This company cat fight all began in 2020, when Epic Games attempted to subvert Apple's cut of the profits by implementing its own payment option — cutting out the middleman to directly profit from the sale of battle passes, skins, and emotes from Fortnite's in-game store.
None-too-pleased, Apple prompty gave Fortnite the boot, cutting iPhone and iPad users out of the action.
A long-running legal battle ensued, with Epic Games desperate to find a return to Apple's App Store, and reconnecting with rich vein of capital in the process.
During that time, it would seem that Fortnite was named after the total amount of time that could pass before the two began butting heads all over again.
However, an April ruling prohibited Apple from restricting Epic's use of external payment systems, blowing the doors wide open for Fortnite's return to the App Store — with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney proclaiming on X: "We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week."
Unfortunately, after resubmitting the game to the US App Store, Epic Games has announced in a post on X that "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," adding: "Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it."
At the time of writing, Fortnite remains completely absent from iOS and iPadOS App Stores, and the Epic Game Store in the EU, where the game made its return last year thanks to EU regulations that forced Apple's hand on allowing third-party app stores.
In the meantime, those looking for their Fortnite fix on mobile can do so through cloud gaming platforms like Nvidia GeForce NOW, Amazon Luna, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
However, while Apple will likely have to eventually relent on Fortnite access for EU gamers once again, the game's availability in the U.S. is once again up in the air. For those stateside, the only thing we can say for certain is this: Apple really doesn't want you playing Fortnite on iPhone — and its legal squabbles with Epic Games may be far from over.
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