Epic Games' ongoing feud with Apple over the distribution of Fortnite on iOS devices has escalated, with Epic alleging that Apple is obstructing the game's return to the U.S. App Store. The conflict intensified after a U.S. Federal District Court in California ruled on April 30 that Apple had deliberately violated a court order in the Epic Games v. Apple case. This order mandated Apple to allow developers to offer alternative payment methods outside their apps.

Epic's CEO, Tim Sweeney, remains steadfast in his mission to challenge both Apple and Google, vowing to continue the fight for as long as it takes. Photo by SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg. Earlier this year, IGN highlighted Sweeney's substantial financial commitment to this battle, noting that he has spent billions challenging the app store policies of Apple and Google. Sweeney views this as a strategic investment in the future of Epic and Fortnite, confident that the company can sustain this legal battle for decades.

The core of the dispute revolves around Epic's refusal to pay the customary 30% store fees on mobile game revenue. Epic prefers to distribute Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store, bypassing the fees imposed by Apple and Google. This disagreement led to Fortnite's removal from iOS platforms back in 2020.

Despite Sweeney's recent announcement that Fortnite would soon return to iOS devices, the game remains unavailable. Epic has now informed IGN 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. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it."

Hi Tim. How about if you let our mutual customers access Fortnite? Just a thought.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 15, 2025

Following the court's ruling, Apple faced further legal scrutiny. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers emphasized that "Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated," and referred Apple and its vice president of finance, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation. The judge criticized Roman's testimony on Apple's compliance with her injunction as misleading and dishonest.

In response, Apple stated its disagreement with the court's decision but affirmed its intention to comply while planning an appeal. Recently, Apple requested a pause on the ruling from the U.S. appeals court.