Epic Demands Court Action as Apple Blocks Fortnite’s U.S. App Store Comeback

On May 16, 2025, Epic Games filed a motion with U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, requesting enforcement of a prior injunction to compel Apple to review and approve Fortnite’s return to the U.S. App Store. Epic argues that Apple’s refusal to act on the game’s submission violates the court’s order prohibiting the rejection of apps using external payment links.

Apple maintains that it requested Epic to resubmit the app without U.S. distribution to avoid impacting other regions. Epic contends this demand contradicts Apple’s own guidelines against submitting multiple versions of the same app.

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The dispute traces back to 2020 when Apple removed Fortnite for bypassing its in-app purchase system. In April 2025, Judge Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple willfully violated a 2021 injunction, ordering the company to allow external payment options and ceasing commissions on such transactions.

Epic’s CEO, Tim Sweeney, has publicly criticized Apple’s actions, highlighting the presence of Fortnite knockoffs on the App Store while the official game remains blocked. The legal battle continues, with Fortnite unavailable on iOS devices globally until the issue is resolved.

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