“Fortnite” has gone offline worldwide on iOS devices after Apple blocked the online video game’s release submission. The video game’s social media pages put out the following statement: “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. Now, sadly, ‘Fortnite’ on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.” In August 2020, Apple officially booted “Fortnite” and other Epic Games titles off the App Store, suspending the games company’s developer account after Epic filed an antitrust lawsuit against the tech giant. Epic’s lawsuit against Apple argued that the tech company acts as a monopoly, taking a 30% cut on all in-app purchases while banning outside payment methods. Related Stories News broke at the end of April that “Fortnite” would be returning to the App Store after a court found that Apple willfully violated the court order in the Epic Games v. Apple suit. “For the reasons set forth herein, the Court finds Apple in willful violation of this Court’s 2021 Injunction which issued to restrain and prohibit Apple’s anticompetitive conduct and anticompetitive pricing. Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated,” Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in the documents. Popular on Variety An Apple spokesperson shared the following statement with Variety after the ruling: “We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal.” While “Fortnite” was expected to return to the App Store, Epic Games says Apple did not approve its submission in time. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney posted on X on May 15: “We don’t have an update on our ‘Fortnite’ submission to the App Store. Apple has neither accepted nor rejected it. So the Friday update to Fortnite is now in jeopardy.”

Not Back Yet Fortnite developer Epic accuses Apple of glockblocking its attempts to shoot the game back onto US iOS, then probably hit the griddy Epic says Fortnite on iOS will now "be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it", as the corporate battle royale continues. Image credit: Epic News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on May 16, 2025 Fortnite developer Epic recently suggested the game might become available on iOS in the US for the first time since 2020 soon, but it's now looking like that won't be happening. Why? Well, Epic's accusing Apple, its long-time sparring partner in an ongoing legal battle, of storeblocking. As we reported last week, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney had launched a fresh effort to get Apple to agree to re-admit the game to its App Store following a judge issuing a pretty damning verdict against the fruit company in the latest legal skirmish between the two. This is all about payment options and the cut Apple takes of them via its store, with Epic having decided five years ago that this was something it wouldn't stand for. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has claimed it originally submitted Fortnite for Apple to review on May 9 and then resubmitted a new version on May 14 in order to include a fresh update to the game. Now, the publisher's put out the following statement via the official Fortnite Twitter account: "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. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it." To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Sweeney himself has also been tweeting, declaring in one post: "Apple’s App Review team should be free to review all submitted apps promptly and accept or reject according to the plain language of their guidelines. App Review shouldn’t be weaponized by senior management as a tool to delay or obstruct competition, due process, or free speech." This all comes after that aforementioned court verdict, which saw Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rule that Apple was "in wilful violation" of previous court injunction that it had to allow purchases made for iOS games and apps through outside web links. It did, but then instituted a 27% commission on such purchases. "Apple’s response to the Injunction strains credulity," the court's verdict read, "After two sets of evidentiary hearings, the truth emerged Apple, despite knowing its obligations thereunder, thwarted the injunction’s goals, and continued its anticompetitive conduct solely to maintain its revenue stream." We'll just have to see how things go from here, as it looks like this fight is nowhere near a resolution that would see one victor left default dancing, or more realistically a bunch of suits going back to whatever else it is they do with their time.

Fortnite is no longer available from the iOS Epic Games Store in the EU. Fortnite maker Epic Games has announced that Apple has blocked the game’s return to iOS. Following the rejection, Fortnite is no longer available on iPhones and iPads even in the European Union, where it had previously been available to download through the Epic Games Store. “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 company posted on the official Fortnite X account. “Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.” The Verge has confirmed that the game is no longer available to download on iOS from the Epic Games Store or the alternative marketplace AltStore PAL in the EU, where it had previously been available. It’s not yet clear if Apple blocked the game’s availability through those stores, or if Epic itself chose to make it unavailable. We’ve reached out to both Apple and Epic for comment. Fortnite returned to iOS in the EU last year, but only through those two storefronts, and not Apple’s App Store. The return was made possible by the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which required Apple to allow third-party app stores on iOS. Epic had resubmitted Fortnite to the US App Store this month following a recent ruling in Epic’s lawsuit against Apple. That ruling prohibited Apple from restricting developers’ ability to link to external payment systems, one of the issues that had started their long-running legal battle. Epic was forced to use its EU developer account to resubmit the game, as its US account was terminated in 2020 when it first broke Apple’s rules by introducing its own in-app payments to the game. This week Epic CEO Tim Sweeney announced that the company had pulled its previous Fortnite submission and submitted a new version that included an update due to release today, noting that “all platforms must update simultaneously.” Developing…

Epic Games has been waiting for Apple to approve Fortnite for the US iOS App Store for nearly a week, and now Epic CEO Tim Sweeney is using X to try and put pressure on Apple. On Thursday, he highlighted examples of Fortnite lookalikes that are currently on the App Store and made a direct appeal to Apple CEO Tim Cook.In one post, Sweeney included screenshots of the App Store listing for a game called Fort Battle Royale Epic Shoot. A screenshot in the app listing shows a game with Fortnite-inspired graphics, but it’s clear if you look closely that it isn’t the real Fortnite. “Hey @AppStore can we get the real Fortnite up pls?” Sweeney asked. Soon after, Sweeney said that Fort Battle Royale Epic Shoot had been taken down from the App Store but also highlighted another Fortnite clone, Epic Survival Battle Royale 3D. That app, as of this writing, is still available on the App Store. (Apple has something of a history of letting unofficial fakes of popular games slip onto the store.)Sweeney also replied to a post Cook made earlier in the day. “Hi Tim. How about if you let our mutual customers access Fortnite? Just a thought,” Sweeney wrote.Shortly after the April 30th ruling in Epic Games v. Apple that blocked Apple from charging a fee on purchases made outside the App Store, Sweeney announced that Epic would bring Fortnite back to the US iOS App Store “next week.”Epic said it submitted Fortnite to Apple on Friday, May 9th, but the app hasn’t yet been approved. (Apple’s website says that “on average, 90 percent of submissions are reviewed in less than 24 hours.”)Sweeney said yesterday that the company submitted a new version because “we need to release a weekly Fortnite update with new content this Friday, and all platforms must update simultaneously.” But that updated submission still hasn’t been approved, either.“We don’t have an update on our Fortnite submission to the App Store,” Sweeney said earlier on Thursday. “Apple has neither accepted nor rejected it. So the Friday update to Fortnite is now in jeopardy.”It’s unclear if that last sentence means that Epic plans to delay the planned Friday Fortnite update for all platforms where Fortnite is available as a result of Apple not yet approving the update.Apple and Epic Games didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.See More:

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says Apple is keeping Fortnite’s return to the App Store in limbo, having “neither accepted nor rejected” the latest submission for review. The ongoing silence now threatens to delay Fortnite’s next major update, planned for this Friday. Judge ordered Apple to comply, but didn’t require Fortnite’s return The ink wasn’t even dry yet on Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ order for Apple to quit it and do what it was told in the original 2021 injunction, when Epic Games confirmed it would submit Fortnite for Apple’s approval as soon as humanly possible. Which they did, on May 9th. Then… nothing. After five days without response, Epic withdrew the original submission and filed a new version to accommodate a planned Friday update. Since Apple’s own guidelines state that 90% of app submissions are reviewed within 24 hours, this radio silence is highly unusual. But here’s the thing: this may not be radio silence at all, but rather a one-sided stalemate. When Judge Rogers issued her original decision in 2021, she said Apple was not obligated to let Fortnite return to the App Store. She concluded that Epic Games had willingly broken the rules it had agreed to when creating its developer account, so the ban was fair game. So far, Apple has not given any indication whether it will actually let Fortnite back into the App Store. Which is probably why Sweeney has been very active on X about it, knowing that Fortnite fans will pile on (often, mentioning Tim Cook directly). Apple is listening Adding to this entire predicament, Tim Sweeney posted earlier today about how a Fortnite knock-off was available at the App Store. A few hours later, the app was pulled, to which Sweeney posted about yet another knock-off making the rounds. For now, Fortnite fans on iOS remain in wait-and-see mode. Sweeney has not indicated what Epic’s next move will be if Godot never comes. However, with no communication from Apple and the Friday update at risk, the saga between both companies appears far from over. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

TechTarget and Informa Tech’s Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Tech’s Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.Epic Games CEO resubmits Fortnite to Apple App Review... againEpic Games CEO resubmits Fortnite to Apple App Review... again'There is no way a rapidly evolving multi-platform game like Fortnite can operate if platforms use their power or processes to obstruct.'May 15, 20252 Min ReadImage via Epic GamesEpic Games has resubmitted Fortnite to Apple App Review in the US after suggesting there was no reply to a previously submitted version.According to CEO Tim Sweeney, Fortnite was submitted to Apple for review on May 9. Yesterday, he posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Apple hadn't approved the game's release (thanks, VGC)."We need to release a weekly Fortnite update with new content this Friday, and all platforms must update simultaneously. So we have pulled the previous Fortnite version submitted to Apple App Review last Friday, and we have submitted a new version for review," the post read.Since May 10, Sweeney has been sharing daily updates on X, saying that there was "no news" from Apple, in response to people asking about the review status.Yesterday, an X user asked Sweeney how he "did not plan for this." The CEO response was as follows: "Our release planning relies on platforms supporting app developers like us releasing apps. There is no way a rapidly evolving multi-platform game like Fortnite can operate if platforms use their power or processes to obstruct."As spotted by VGC, according to the App Review guidelines, on average, 90 percent of submissions are reviewed in less than 24 hours by Apple.Epic and Apple are still battling over the app storeRelated:This week's news is the latest in a series of developments around a years-long legal battle between the two companies to reinstate Fortnite on iOS. In January 2024, the game became available in the European App Store again. Two months later, Epic claimed that its European account had been "terminated," which was a "serious violation" of Europe's Digital Markets Act. The account was reinstated the next day."This sends a strong signal to developers that the European Commission will act swiftly to enforce the DMA and hold gatekeepers accountable," the company wrote in a statement at the time.Then, in June of the same year, a new law passed by Japanese parliament opened the door for Epic to submit Fortnite to Apple Japan's App Store. The bill is set to take effect in late 2025. Back in December, the developer also secured a deal to preinstall the game onto Android phones in UK and Spain."Fortnite will now return to iOS in Japan and UK next year, and EU this year! This is the new free world, from the point of view of app developers and users. It’s a big club and we ain't in it: The United States of America is still locked behind Apple's Iron Curtain," Sweeney said on X in June 2024.Disclosure: The author of this piece has previously contributed editorial work to the Epic Games Store News section.Related:Read more about:Top StoriesAppleEpic GamesDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Epic Games has once again submitted "Fortnite" to the U.S. App Store for review, after Apple seemingly ignored its previous submission for five days.Epic Games has resubmitted 'Fortnite' to the U.S. App Store for review.On May 9, after announcing its intentions a few days prior, Epic Games tried to get Fortnite back on the App Store by submitting the game for review. While most applications typically get reviewed within 24 hours, this was not the case with Fortnite. Instead, there were no developments in regards to the game's review process for more than 120 hours, or five days.Given that its request went unanswered for such a long time, Epic Games understandably decided to cancel its initial request for a review. Fortnite leaker Shiima revealed that Epic has submitted a second review request, with the company's CEO Tim Sweeney later confirming the details himself, MacRumors notes. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Nvidia’s efforts to suck up to the Trump administration have seemingly paid off, with the US now lifting export limits on US-made AI chips and cracking down on anyone using Huawei’s emerging alternatives. The announcements come as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joined President Trump in Saudi Arabia this week to solicit AI investments for US companies.The US Department of Commerce (DOC) announced on Monday that it has rescinded the Artificial Intelligence Diffusion Rule, due to take effect on May 15th, that aimed to restrict how many US-made AI chips could be sent to international markets without special government approval. The DOC said that a replacement rule for protecting US AI technology will be issued “in the future,” but provided no specific details.“These new requirements would have stifled American innovation and saddled companies with burdensome new regulatory requirements,” The DOC said in a statement. “The AI Diffusion Rule also would have undermined US diplomatic relations with dozens of countries by downgrading them to second-tier status.”Trump’s favorite government meddler Elon Musk was also rubbing shoulders with Huang and the Saudi prince at the investment forum. Image: Brendan Smialowski / Getty ImagesWhile the goal was to prevent countries already subject to chip restrictions, such as Russia and China, from accessing or building AI tech, it also placed Nvidia’s estimated 90 percent share of the AI chip market in jeopardy. Shortly after the Diffusion Rule was introduced by former President Joe Biden in January, Nvidia issued a statement calling it “misguided,” while anticipating a return to Trump’s first term policies “that strengthen American leadership, bolster our economy and preserve our competitive edge in AI and beyond.”The DOC also warned companies that using Huawei’s Ascend AI chipset “anywhere in the world” would violate US export control agreements. Huawei’s home-grown Ascend processors are seen as China’s best answer to Nvidia’s powerful AI chips. Nvidia’s Huang was notably one of the only US tech leaders to not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration. His absence doesn’t appear to have soured the relationship between them, however, with Huang spotted cosying up to Trump at a US-Saudi investment summit in Riyadh on Tuesday, alongside other tech leaders like Elon Musk, AMD’s Lisa Su, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Epic CEO Tim Sweeney.The Washington Post reports that Trump was far from subtle about what the US wanted from the gathering. “As you know, we have the biggest business leaders in the world here,” he told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “They’re going to walk away with a lot of checks for a lot of things that you’re going to provide.”See More:

Nvidia’s efforts to suck up to the Trump administration have seemingly paid off, with the US now lifting export limits on US-made AI chips and cracking down on anyone using Huawei’s emerging alternatives. The announcements come as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joined President Trump in Saudi Arabia this week to solicit AI investments for US companies.The US Department of Commerce (DOC) announced on Monday that it has rescinded the Artificial Intelligence Diffusion Rule, due to take effect on May 15th, that aimed to restrict how many US-made AI chips could be sent to international markets without special government approval. The DOC said that a replacement rule for protecting US AI technology will be issued “in the future,” but provided no specific details.“These new requirements would have stifled American innovation and saddled companies with burdensome new regulatory requirements,” The DOC said in a statement. “The AI Diffusion Rule also would have undermined US diplomatic relations with dozens of countries by downgrading them to second-tier status.”Trump’s favorite government meddler Elon Musk was also rubbing shoulders with Huang and the Saudi prince at the investment forum. Image: Brendan Smialowski / Getty ImagesWhile the goal was to prevent countries already subject to chip restrictions, such as Russia and China, from accessing or building AI tech, it also placed Nvidia’s estimated 90 percent share of the AI chip market in jeopardy. Shortly after the Diffusion Rule was introduced by former President Joe Biden in January, Nvidia issued a statement calling it “misguided,” while anticipating a return to Trump’s first term policies “that strengthen American leadership, bolster our economy and preserve our competitive edge in AI and beyond.”The DOC also warned companies that using Huawei’s Ascend AI chipset “anywhere in the world” would violate US export control agreements. Huawei’s home-grown Ascend processors are seen as China’s best answer to Nvidia’s powerful AI chips. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was notably one of the only US tech leaders to not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration. His absence doesn’t appear to have soured the relationship between them, however, with Huang spotted cosying up to Trump at a US-Saudi investment summit in Riyadh on Tuesday, alongside other tech leaders like Elon Musk, AMD’s Lisa Su, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Epic CEO Tim Sweeney.The Washington Post reports that Trump was far from subtle about what the US wanted from the gathering. “As you know, we have the biggest business leaders in the world here,” he told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “They’re going to walk away with a lot of checks for a lot of things that you’re going to provide.”See More: