Apple blocks Fortnite return to US iPhone App Store [Updated]

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UPDATE:Fortnite returned to the U.S. App Store on May 20.

Epic Games’ hope to get Fortnite reinstated on the U.S. iPhone App Store crashed and burned. Apple used a letter from one of its lawyers to deny the attempt to let iPhone users in the United States install and play the popular game. This is the latest clash in a long-running dispute between the two companies.

Epic claimed Friday that Apple had also blocked Fortnite in Europe, which Apple denies.

Fortnite ban for US iPhones goes on

Apple banned Fortnite from the App Store back in 2020 in a spat between Epic Games and the iPhone maker. They were fighting over in-app payment systems, and a judge recently ruled that Apple must permit what Epic wanted to do all those years ago. In the wake of that decision, Epic resubmitted Fortnite to the U.S. App Store and waited to see how Apple would respond.

Turns out the response wasn’t positive. A letter from Gary Bornstein with Cravath, Swaine & Moore written on Apple’s behalf on Thursday and made public by Epic Games on Friday points out that courts supported Apple banning Epic from the App Store after the game developer’s actions in 2020, and Apple sees no reason to change that decision now.

“Apple has previously denied requests to reinstate the Epic Games developer account, and we have informed you that Apple will not revisit that decision until after the U.S. litigation between the parties concludes,” said Bornstein.

Apple appealed the judge’s decision that requires it to allow developers include links in their iPhone applications directing users to third-party payment options. And in Apple’s view, until that appeal is settled, the litigation between it and Epic Games goes on.

A US/EU kerfuffle

On Friday, the game developer said via X that, “Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.”

Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.

— Fortnite (@Fortnite) May 16, 2025

The game became available for iPhone owners in the European Union after the Digital Markets Act forced Apple to allow rival iOS app marketplaces. Fortnite went onto one of those, but it doesn’t work right now.

As Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says, “We need to release a weekly Fortnite update with new content this Friday, and all platforms must update simultaneously.” As the iPhone version can’t be updated, it stopped working.

The letter from Apple’s lawyer blames the problem on the way Epic’s Swedish account submitted the app for approval, and says the solution is simple. “The recent submission by Epic Sweden included a proposed Fortnite app for the U.S. storefront of the App Store as well as for alternative distribution in other geographies,” said Bornstein. “To prevent our discussions surrounding the U.S. storefront of the App Store from impacting Fortnite in other geographies, please withdraw that submission and resubmit the app without including the U.S. storefront of the App Store.”

iPhone users eager to play the battle royale title right now can turn to cloud-gaming services. Fortnite is available via Amazon Luna, Xbox Cloud Gaming and more.

Ed Hardy

Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.

That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)

Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.