Apple has prevented Fortnite's return to iPhone again. After four years of impasse, Epic Games resumed the game to the US App Store in early May, but Apple barred its entry on Friday, 16. The veto came even after an optimistic announcement by Epic Games CEO, Tim Sweeney, about a possible return of the game to the iOS platform.
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EPIC has confirmed the blockade in an official publication on X (former Twitter) and said it will keep Fortnite out of both the North American app and alternative stores in Europe. With this, it is no longer possible to install the game on the iPhone in any region where Apple operates under specific rules.
Dispute between Apple and Epic remains indefinite
The decision caused strangeness, especially in the European Union, where the game was also prevented from being distributed by Epic Games Store and Altstore Pal. Both are alternatives independent to the app store, which indicates that the veto may be related to criteria not yet explained by Apple or how Epic used its European account to try to publish the game in the US.
The tension between companies began in 2020, when Epic accused Apple monopoly. The company even made reference to the dystopia portrayed in the 1984 book to criticize Apple's policies. The provocation, however, had the opposite effect and led to the App Store Fortnite banishment.
Critics also pointed out that Epic itself would have used its market power to provoke Apple and force a lawsuit. EPIC has planned the maneuver to publicly contest the rules of the app store and seek legal changes in favor of its products.
American justice did not revert to the exclusion of the game
In January last year, the US Supreme Court officially ended the dispute. The decision prohibited Epic from continuing to claim that Apple violated antitrust laws. On the other hand, the court has forced Apple to review some IOS policies and to allow greater opening to developers.
Despite the resolution, Fortnite was not automatically reinstated to the App Store. The return depended on agreements between companies and the adaptation of EPIC to Apple's new guidelines. Still, the resentation made this month rekindled the hopes of players using iOS.
However, the new block shows that the conflict follows without definitive solution. Even with the public offer of peace made by Sweeney, in which he proposed to end the processes and readapt the game, Apple decided to maintain the restriction. The official justification has not yet been disclosed.
Review with European account may have influenced the veto
Epic's recent attempt involved the use of a European account to resend the game to the US store. The strategy may have been interpreted as a new attempt to circumvent Apple rules, which would have led to the immediate rejection of the publication. It is still unclear whether this action has violated a specific guideline.
Apple's silence regarding the reasons for blockade feeds doubts about the possibility of Fortnite to return to iOS. The company's decision affects not only US users, but also European Union players, who now face limitations even in alternative stores.
EPIC, in turn, maintains the position that the game will only be available when Apple releases access on platforms where it has control. For now, Fortnite remains outside Apple devices, which reinforces that the dispute is far from the end.
