Following a recent court ruling against Apple, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced that Fortnite will return to the iOS App Store in the US next week. The game had been removed for over four years after Epic implemented its own payment system to protest Apple’s 30% in-app purchase tax. Sweeney proposed a peace agreement, stating that Epic would drop all litigation if Apple extends the court’s favorable payment framework globally. However, Apple has indicated it will appeal the ruling, potentially undermining Sweeney’s offer, despite the court’s findings weakening Apple’s position.
In light of today’s court ruling that significantly impacted Apple, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney announced that Fortnite will rejoin the iOS App Store in the US next week.
The game has been absent from the store for more than four years due to ongoing disputes between Apple and Epic. Epic took a stand against Apple’s 30% in-app purchase fee by incorporating its own payment system within the game, circumventing Apple’s rules. This clear (and planned) violation of App Store policies led Apple to remove the game, despite its popularity at the time. In response, Epic swiftly filed a lawsuit against Apple and released a series of videos criticizing the company.
We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week.
Epic proposes a peace agreement: If Apple expands the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework globally, we will reinstate Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and cease current and future litigation on this matter. https://t.co/bIRTePm0Tv
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) April 30, 2025
Four years on, Epic appears to have achieved its objective, which includes permitting developers to utilize their own payment systems without Apple’s commission and intimidation tactics. Sweeney also mentioned in his X post that as a gesture of goodwill, Epic Games will drop all ongoing and future litigations if Apple extends the US court’s ruling globally.
Given that Apple has already indicated plans to appeal the US court’s ruling, Sweeney’s offer may not be accepted. Nevertheless, with an Apple VP being caught lying in court, the odds of Apple successfully overturning the decision currently seem quite low.