Apple Delays Fortnite’s Return to App Store Despite Court Order

After Epic Games won its lawsuit against Apple, which obliged the company not only to return Fortnite to the American App Store, but also to allow the use of alternative payment systems, unexpected difficulties arose in fulfilling these requirements. Epic Games accused Apple of deliberately delaying the process of re-publishing the title.

On May 9, the developer applied to place Fortnite in the App Store, but it was rejected. At the same time, the iPad and iPhone versions of the game disappeared from the EGS store in the EU. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney regarded these actions as a deliberate attempt by Apple to delay the return of Fortnite to iOS devices.

Apple representatives denied the accusations of blocking, explaining that Epic Games presented a single version of Fortnite for both the App Store and its own marketplace in the EU. The company recommended that the developer submit a separate version for review, not intended for the App Store, after which the game will become available to users in the European Union.

Despite Tim Sweeney’s optimistic statements about Fortnite’s imminent return to iOS, the actual release on the App Store is being delayed pending Apple’s appeal. This means that players will have to wait for a final court ruling before they can download the game through the official app store again.