Available Again After 5 Years
Fortnite is officially back on the App Store for iPhone and iPad users. Epic Games made the surprise announcement this afternoon, marking the end of a nearly five-year absence from Apple’s platform.
The game is also available once again in the European Union through the Epic Games Store and AltStore.
Why Fortnite Is Back Now (Spoiler: The Judge Was Not Playing Around)
So, what changed? Well, let’s just say Apple didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Fortnite on its own.
Until recently, Apple had zero plans to let Epic’s battle royale mega-hit back on the App Store. But then came a courtroom twist: the judge overseeing the long-running legal feud between Epic and Apple gave the tech giant a very firm nudge. How firm? We’re talking “show up in court yourself and explain it” kind of firm.
Apparently, that was enough to get Apple moving. Rather than risk a high-profile grilling in court, Apple relented and Fortnite is back, at least partially.
Right now, the game is available on the App Store in the U.S., and through the Epic Games Store and AltStore in the EU. If you’re elsewhere in the world, though, you’re still out of luck… for now.
One thing to note: the U.S. version doesn’t offer in-app purchases. Instead, it directs players to Epic’s website to buy V-Bucks. Yeah, no 30% cut for Apple here. Another result of the court ruling that forced Apple to ease up on its tight grip over app payments.
So Fortnite fans, rejoice. The game’s back in the fight—on your iPhone, iPad, and maybe soon, more places too.
You can download Fortnite for the iPhone and iPad right now from the App Store.
Stay tuned, we’ll have more details as they drop!
Comments