Apple has once again blocked Fortnite's return to the iPhone. After four years of deadlock, Epic Games resubmitted the game to the US App Store in early May, but Apple blocked its entry this Friday, the 16th. The veto came even after an optimistic announcement from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney about a possible return of the game to the iOS platform.
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Epic Games confirmed the ban in an official post on X (formerly Twitter) and stated that it will keep Fortnite out of both the US App Store and alternative app stores in Europe. Therefore, it is no longer possible to install the game on iPhones in any region where Apple operates under specific rules.
The dispute between Apple and Epic remains unresolved
The decision caused surprise, especially in the European Union, where the game was also prevented from being distributed by the Epic Games Store and AltStore PAL. Both are independent alternatives to the App Store, which indicates that the veto may be related to criteria not yet explained by Apple or to the way Epic used its European account to try to publish the game in the US.
Tensions between the companies began in 2020 when Epic accused Apple of monopoly. The company even referenced the dystopia depicted in the book 1984 to criticize Apple's policies. The provocation, however, backfired and led to Fortnite being banned from the App Store.
Critics also pointed out that Epic itself used its market power to provoke Apple and force a lawsuit. Epic planned the maneuver to publicly challenge the App Store rules and seek legal changes favorable to its products.
The American court did not reverse the ban on the game
In January of last year, the United States Supreme Court officially ended the dispute. The decision prohibited Epic from continuing to claim that Apple violated antitrust laws. In return, the Court forced Apple to revise some iOS policies and allow greater openness to developers.
Despite the resolution, Fortnite was not automatically reinstated on the App Store. Its return depended on agreements between the companies and Epic's adaptation to Apple's new guidelines. Even so, the resubmission this month rekindled the hopes of iOS players.
However, the new ban shows that the conflict remains unresolved. Even with Sweeney's public peace offer, in which he proposed ending the lawsuits and adapting the game, Apple decided to maintain the restriction. The official justification has not yet been released.
Forwarding via a European account may have influenced the veto
Epic's recent attempt involved using a European account to resubmit the game to the US store. This strategy may have been interpreted as another attempt to circumvent Apple's rules, which would have led to the immediate rejection of the listing. It is still unclear whether this action violated any specific guidelines.
Apple's silence regarding the reasons for the block fuels doubts about the possibility of Fortnite returning to iOS. The company's decision affects not only American users, but also players in the European Union, who now face limitations even in alternative app stores.
Epic, for its part, maintains its position that the game will only be available when Apple releases access on the platforms it controls. For now, Fortnite remains off Apple devices, reinforcing that the dispute is far from over.
