Fortnite Makes a Triumphant Return to the U.S. App Store After Five-Year Absence

Fortnite, the wildly popular battle royale game developed by the tech giant Epic Games, is once again available in the U.S. App Store! Now, after a five-year absence, it has officially returned. This major change follows a massively high-stakes legal wrangle between Epic Games and Apple. As a result of that clash, Fortnite has been kicked off the platform. With the series’ long-awaited return, a promising new chapter unfolds for the game. Beyond the admittedly fascinating precedent, it has major implications for app store policies and developer payment structures.

The legal battle began back in 2020. Epic Games released a direct payment option in Fortnite, cutting Apple out of the in-app purchase process entirely. This, of course, resulted in Apple removing the game from its App Store which set off a chain reaction of court battles. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ultimately ruled that Apple must approve Epic’s submission or provide a legal justification for blocking it. Combined, the ruling is a huge win for developers. It requires Apple to allow them to collect payments on their own terms outside of its ecosystem without paying any fees to Apple.

Now that Fortnite is once again available on the App Store, players will, of course, receive even more exclusive perks. The original version now offers an incredible 20% cashback reward! Users can experience this benefit by buying in-game goods straight from Epic – not through Apple’s in-app payment system. This is a welcome change as it provides players a much cheaper alternative. More than that, it gives Epic Games the power to reach out to its customers directly.

You can alternatively get it through the Epic Games Store, or on AltStore if you live in the European Union. This extensive multi-platform presence further highlights Epic’s commitment to bringing Fortnite to as many players as possible, even in the face of prior restrictions.

Even if Fortnite goes away for good, the recent ruling by Judge Gonzalez Rogers has larger implications. This event calls into question Apple’s long-revered approach against paying developers directly. Perhaps more significantly, it will force App Store-wide changes to how apps operate. Developers will now have more space to look for other payment solutions, which could change the dynamics of the app marketplace.