Currently, iPhone and iPad users can go to iOS or iPados App Store and find Epic Games’ Battle Royale Shooter and Virtual Experience Platform available for free download.
As mentioned, Fortnite is one of the world’s most played games. Its most popular state is a third -person shooter that puts up to 100 players against each other on an island filled with unique locations and quirky weapons.
Fortnite Was first added to the App Store in 2018, but only two years later, Epic Games and Apple would begin a legal dispute that continues to today.
Fortnite ‘s return to iPhone and iPad is an important milestone in the said dispute, which is about the Commission Apple fees on apps and buy in the app.
In general, Epic has accused Apple of trying to form a monopoly through the App Store, while Apple has been trying to protect its right to charge commission on in-app transactions. Apple charges a 30% commission for purchases made through the App Store that extends to purchases in the app using Apple’s payment system.
The official Fortnite X account shared news about the game’s return in a post that sounds “Fortnite is back in the App Store in the US on iPhones and iPads”.
According to ActivePlayer, Fortnite had been downloaded from the App Store 133 million times before it was removed – and with an estimated 500 million downloads across all platforms, it will probably rank among the most popular games of all time.
Much has changed since Fortnite was last available in the App Store game has grown from a Battle Royale only to a Roblox-style platform for official and user-generated experiences including bonds with LEGO and Rocket League .
Fortnite Has been available on the iPhone and iPad in the EU since August 2024, but that’s because the EU’s Digital Market Act is forcing telephone manufacturers to support third-party assignments-inclusive Epic Games Store.
And in other regions, such as Australia, where Epic Games and Apple deal with a separate legal dispute for similar reasons, the game has not returned to the App Store yet.
A new chapter?
(Image Credit: Epic Games)
As we have previously covered, Fortnite was originally removed from the App Store after a dispute between Epic Games and Apple over buying the app handled.
Fortnite’s purchase in the app, which consists of subscriptions and the iconic V-Bucks virtual currency, is how the free game earns money from users.
By 2020, Epic Games added its own payment system to the app to bypass the Commission Apple fees on these purchases in the app between 15% and 30% according to the Associated Press.
Apple responded by removing Fortnite from the App Store, and Epic Games suspended support for the iOS and iPados versions of the game shortly after, and after further legal matches enabled alternative payment systems to operate in a commission of 27%.
Following an appeal from Epic Games, Apple was ordered to stop collecting the Commission on alternative payment systems, and on May 19, US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez asked Rogers Apple, which is why it was still blocking Fortnite without the permission of court.
While Fortnite is now officially back in the App Store, the dispute between these tech titans is not yet over yet – another consultation is scheduled to take place on May 27. We have the latest updates through our mobile waste.
Still, this big news for Fortnite fans across the United States that can now return to looting and recording from their iPhone or iPad. Tell us if you fall into the comments below.
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