Fortnite May Not Return to iOS for Another Five Years

It’s no secret at this point that both Apple and Epic Games have been in a long-brewing legal battle over the distribution of funds spent on games through Apple’s iOS app store. With the legal proceedings recently concluding though (and frankly, no side doing better than the other), some may believe there’s hope for Epic Games’ cash cow to make its way properly back to the platform. While this is an optimistic hope, it seems fans wanting to play on iOS devices will be waiting a long, long time. According to a tweet made by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, Apple is waiting on a legal procedure that could be “as long as a 5-year process.”

Late last night, Apple informed Epic that Fortnite will be blacklisted from the Apple ecosystem until the exhaustion of all court appeals, which could be as long as a 5-year process. pic.twitter.com/QCD7wogJef

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 22, 2021

The tweet in question, as seen above, is of an email sent late last night to Epic Games attorney Gary Bornstein came from Apple Business Development Manager Mark A. Perry, informing the company of said legal procedure. Sweeney went on to voice his concerns in further tweets made by his account:

This is another extraordinary anticompetitive move by Apple, demonstrating their power to reshape markets and choose winners and losers.

It’s also a loss for fair competition and consumer choice. The loss of Fortnite as an iOS metaverse competitor alongside Roblox and PUBG Mobile has significant implications for the evolution of the new medium of our era.

Why did Apple break its promise to allow Fortnite back under its rules? Apple cites three reasons: 1) they won, 2) Epic “statements since the court’s decision”, and 3) the way we launched direct payments in 2020.

Apple always claimed they expected to win, and Apple has known about Epic’s payment system since 2020. The only change since September 10, when Apple last offered to welcome Fortnite back, is that Epic appealed the decision and made “statements”.”

This is quite frustrating for fans of Fortnite, as being able to play a game on the go and through a phone is equally convenient and fun. While these legal proceedings are frustrating, we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop as things progress.

What are your thoughts on Fortnite not returning to iOS in the next five years? Do you believe Tim Sweeney and Apple are hashing this out correctly, despite the result? Let us know!