Epic Games confirmed on Tuesday that Fortnite has returned to App Stores globally, as the studio expressed confidence in winning its ongoing legal case against Apple.
Fortnite, one of the most played games in the world, follows a last-man-standing battle royale format and attracts millions of daily players who purchase in-game cosmetics regularly.
The game had been absent from the US App Store for nearly five years before Apple restored access in 2024, following sustained legal and regulatory pressure from Epic.
Legal battle with Apple since 2020
Epic Games, a US-based studio backed by China’s Tencent, has been locked in a legal dispute with Apple since 2020 over App Store commission practices.
Epic alleged that Apple’s practice of charging developers a commission of up to 30 percent on all in-app payments violated US antitrust regulations in federal court.
Epic said it expects a US federal court to compel Apple to disclose full details of how it calculates and applies its App Store fees to developers.
Epic stated that once Apple is required to disclose its cost structure publicly, regulators around the world will not permit Apple’s App Store charges to continue.
The company said Apple is aware that a US federal court will force it to be transparent about the way it charges App Store fees to all developers.
Epic cuts 1,000 jobs amid falling engagement
Earlier in 2024, Epic Games announced it would cut more than one million jobs after Fortnite engagement fell due to difficult economic conditions and weaker consumer spending.
The studio cited macroeconomic uncertainty and a challenging global spending environment as the primary reasons behind the significant workforce reduction announced earlier this year.
