Epic Games vs Apple: Fortnite Blocked from App Stores

Epic Games and Apple Dispute Fortnite App Store Access

Epic Games alleges that Apple is currently preventing the Fortnite application from being available on both the U.S. and EU App Stores.

Legal Victory and Resubmission

Following a significant legal win for app developers, which compelled Apple to permit external payment methods within its U.S. App Store without imposing commission fees, Epic Games initiated the process of resubmitting Fortnite on May 9, 2025.

The initial submission remained unapproved by Apple for a period of one week. This prompted Epic Games to withdraw the request and subsequently resubmit it.

The Issue of Simultaneous Updates

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, explained that the delay stemmed from the necessity of releasing weekly Fortnite updates containing new content. Maintaining synchronized updates across all platforms is crucial for a consistent user experience.

A revised version of the application, incorporating the updated content, was submitted to the U.S. App Store for review on Wednesday, May 14.

Worldwide Offline Status

On Friday morning, a post on X (formerly Twitter) from the official Fortnite account announced that Apple had blocked the latest U.S. submission. Furthermore, Epic Games stated that this action also prevents the release of the app within the European Union.

The post declared, “Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.”

Requests for Comment

TechCrunch contacted both Epic Games and Apple seeking official statements regarding the situation.

Apple's Response

Apple contested Epic Games’ interpretation of the events. An Apple spokesperson stated that the company requested Epic Sweden to resubmit the app update.

The request was made to exclude the U.S. storefront from the update, in order to avoid impacting Fortnite’s availability in other regions. Apple maintains that no action was taken to remove Fortnite from alternative distribution platforms within the European Community.

This article was updated following the receipt of Apple’s comment.