KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Fortnite is now the top free game on the U.S. App Store.
- Epic added payment choices: Apple’s system or its own browser-based option (with a 20% bonus).
- The game is only available in the U.S. App Store, not internationally.
- Fortnite for Mac is still MIA.
- Apple’s appealing the court ruling, and Fortnite could disappear again if Apple gets its way.
Fortnite has shot to the No. 1 spot on the U.S. App Store overnight, just hours after its surprise return.
The hit battle royale game from Epic Games is back on iPhones and iPads nearly five years after its removal, thanks to a court ruling that forced Apple to relax its App Store payment rules. But while it’s topping the charts again, Fortnite’s comeback is hanging by a legal thread, and its future on iOS is anything but certain.
A Quick Recap: Why Fortnite Was Removed
Back in 2020, Epic Games intentionally broke Apple’s in-app purchase rules by sneaking in its own direct payment system. That kicked off a massive antitrust fight and got Fortnite booted from the App Store.
The move was a protest against Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases. What followed was years of courtroom drama, appeals, and injunctions, and it’s not over yet.
What’s New This Time?
Thanks to a recent federal court injunction, Apple was forced to change its App Store rules, specifically around allowing developers to link to external payment options. This paved the way for Epic to resubmit Fortnite with a major change:
Payment Options Are Now Front and Center
Players now get two choices when buying V-Bucks:
- Apple’s In-App Purchase (the traditional way)
- Epic Games Store, which opens in a browser
Choosing the Epic route earns you a 20% bonus thanks to Epic Rewards, which is a clear incentive to skip Apple’s cut. This setup, previously banned under App Store rules, is now live because of legal pressure.
Fortnite Is Back, But Only in the U.S.
Right now, Fortnite is only available via the App Store in the United States. Elsewhere, like the EU, Epic is distributing Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store using new rules under the Digital Markets Act.
If you’re outside these regions, cloud gaming (like NVIDIA GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming) is still your best option for playing Fortnite on iOS.
Also, Fortnite is still not available on Mac, even though nothing is technically stopping it. Epic pulled the plug back in 2020 as part of its protest — and hasn’t reversed course yet.
Fortnite Requires 4GB of RAM to Run
It’s a bummer, but iPhones or iPads with less than 4GB of RAM may be able to download and install Fortnite from the App Store, but won’t be able to run it.
The Legal Cloud Hanging Over Fortnite
Here’s the twist: Apple isn’t backing down. The company is actively appealing the court’s decision and has even asked for a legal “stay” that could let it return to its old App Store rules while the appeal plays out.
If that happens? Fortnite could be removed again. And Epic has made it clear: if there’s no payment choice, there’s no Fortnite.
So, while Fortnite is riding high in the charts right now, its future on iOS remains uncertain, all thanks to the ongoing App Store policy war.
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