Fortnite has made its long-awaited return to the U.S. App Store, following an extensive legal conflict between its developer, Epic Games, and Apple. As of Tuesday, the game is also accessible on the Epic Games Store and AltStore in Europe, with plans for it to appear in App Store searches shortly, as announced by Epic on social media platform X.
The initial removal of Fortnite from the App Store in 2020 stemmed from Epic’s introduction of a feature allowing players to make in-game purchases using its own virtual currency, credited with a 20% discount compared to Apple’s payment system. This move prompted Epic to launch a lawsuit against Apple.
A recent ruling by a judge favoured Epic, determining that Apple had engaged in “willful violation” of rules prohibiting anticompetitive pricing strategies. The ruling mandated that Apple permit developers to accept payments outside the App Store without imposing associated fees.
In response to the court’s decision, Epic sought to reintroduce Fortnite to the App Store. However, the company encountered delays in approval, alleging that Apple was intentionally obstructing the game’s launch in both the U.S. and Europe.
In a decisive development this week, a U.S. District Judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, stated that Apple must either approve Epic’s submission of the game or provide a legitimate legal justification for any continued blockage, potentially shifting the balance of power in this ongoing dispute.
Fanpage: TechArena.au
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