Epic is back in court again, and this time, it’s straight-up asking the judge to force Apple to put Fortnite back on the App Store.
Epic Wants The Court to Force Apple to Let Fortnite Back on the App Store
In a letter sent late Friday to U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Bloomberg reports, Epic accused Apple of ignoring the court’s injunction and refusing to even look at Fortnite’s latest submission. The developer says it played by the rules, complied with all of Apple’s guidelines, and still got shut out. Now, it wants the court to step in and make Apple follow through.
From Epic’s filing:
Apple’s refusal to consider Epic’s Fortnite submission is Apple’s latest attempt to circumvent this Court’s Injunction and this Court’s authority.
They’re not pulling punches. Epic wants the judge to enforce the original injunction, hold Apple in civil contempt, and require them to accept any Epic app that complies, Fortnite included.
And just to twist the knife, Epic even cited Tim Cook’s own words from trial:
It would be to the benefit of the users to have Fortnite back on the App Store.
Can’t argue with that, right?
So why isn’t Fortnite back?
According to Apple, it’s not a ban, they simply asked Epic Sweden (the team behind the resubmission) to remove the U.S. App Store region from the new Fortnite build. Apple claims this is about keeping the game available elsewhere, while litigation in the U.S. wraps up. Epic, naturally, sees it differently.
The standoff has already made Fortnite unavailable worldwide on iOS, something Epic loudly pointed out to fans. And if you’ve been following this saga (how could you not?), you’ll know this isn’t the first time Judge Rogers has been cautious about forcing Apple’s hand. Back in 2020, she said she was “inclined not to require Apple to allow Fortnite on the App Store.” She even denied an earlier request for a preliminary injunction.
But Epic’s new angle? Claiming Apple is now in contempt of court, thanks to the 2021 injunction that told Apple to ease up on App Store restrictions. That could give Judge Rogers more reason to act.
Related: Apple’s Scare Tactics for Third-Party App Payments Could Backfire
The 404 Take
Honestly, this fight feels like it’s entering its final boss stage. Epic’s already tried public pressure, Twitter callouts, and compliance with Apple’s rules. Nothing has worked so far. So now we’re at the “court, please make them” phase. Whether Judge Rogers agrees that Apple’s behavior is contempt-worthy is the real question, and the decision could ripple far beyond Fortnite.
One thing’s for sure: this is way more interesting than any Fortnite battle royale.
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