Epic Games Announces Fortnite Returns to iOS in Australia

Update: Aug 13 @ 11:50 AM: Clarified the news that Fortnite is returning to iOS via the Epic Game Store.

Fortnite is returning to iOS via the Epic Game Store in Australia after a lengthy court battle. Epic Games reveals that both the Epic Game Store and Fortnite will be accessible on iPhone after an Australian judge found Apple and Google’s marketplaces are anticompetitive.

The Epic Games Store and Fortnite will come to iOS in Australia! An Australian court just found that Apple and Google abuse their control over app distribution and in-app payments to limit competition,” the Epic Games Newsroom account said on X (formerly Twitter). CEO Tim Sweeney also took to the social media platform to celebrate, saying, “Fortnite will return to the Land Down Under through Epic Games Store at a date to be determined.”

In November 2020, Epic Games sued Apple in Australia over alleged anticompetitive policies. Google also became a target of Epic Games in March 2021. They then came a single court battle, handled at the same time. This week, federal judge Jonathan Beach found that Apple and Google misuse their respective app stores to reduce competition. Beach cites marketplace dominance as well as the 30 percent commission fees, as reported by the Australian Financial Review.

While it appears to be an overall win for Epic Games, Beach did reject the publisher’s complaint that Apple and Google had broken consumer law.

Apple has since responded to the ruling. “We welcome the Australian court’s rejection of some of Epic’s claims; however, we strongly disagree with the court’s ruling on others,” ABC reports. “Apple faces fierce competition in every market where we operate. We continuously invest and innovate to make the App Store the safest place for users to get apps and a great business opportunity for developers in Australia and around the world,” the company continued.

Fortnite was first removed from the App Store in 2020 after Epic Games introduced its own marketplace, skirting Apple’s 30 percent commission and App Store policies. The iPhone maker responded by pulling Fortnite and the Epic Games Store from the App Store. This then led to Epic Games filing a lawsuit in the US as well as other global regions.

In the US, Fortnite is available once more.  The return of the game followed after a Judge said Apple must allow Fortnite back in the App Store, or face pressure within the court. Unfortunately, the game is still unavailable on iOS in Canada.