“We see this as the beginning of the end of the Apple Tax worldwide” - Fortnite returns to the App Store globally as Epic prepares for “the final battle”

Fortnite has returned to Apple’s App Store worldwide, excluding Australia, marking a significant development in the years-long legal battle between Epic Games and Apple over the platform’s 30 percent commission structure.

The feud began in 2020 when Epic added an in-app payment option to Fortnite to circumvent Apple’s mandatory 30 percent fee. Apple promptly removed the game from the App Store. Following court pressure from US federal judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Apple was forced to reinstate Fortnite in the US and Europe approximately one year ago.

Today’s worldwide relaunch comes as Epic Games anticipates a pivotal moment in the ongoing dispute. According to Epic, Apple has told the US Supreme Court that “regulators around the world are watching this case to determine what commission rate Apple may charge on covered purchases in huge markets outside the United States.” Epic Games believes this signals Apple’s awareness that federal courts will soon require the company to disclose its complete fee structure.

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney declared this development “the beginning of the end of the Apple Tax worldwide,” framing the relaunch as the “final battle” of the dispute. Epic’s strategy appears designed to force Apple’s transparency, expecting that once governments worldwide see Apple’s fee structure, they will not permit what Epic terms “junk fees.” The dispute carries significant implications for app store economics globally, with regulators in the European Union, United Kingdom, and Japan already moving toward regulating app store practices.

“We see this as the beginning of the end of the Apple Tax worldwide” - Fortnite returns to the App Store globally as Epic prepares for “the final battle”

Sources