Apple has halted the return of Fortnite to iOS devices, dealing a fresh blow to Epic Games’ efforts to restore access to the popular title on iPhones and iPads. The move affects users worldwide, including those in the European Union, where the game had recently become accessible through third-party marketplaces.
Epic disclosed the development on Fortnite’s official X account, stating: “Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.”
Previously available in the EU via the Epic Games Store and AltStore PAL, Fortnite has now disappeared from both platforms. Reclaim The Net confirmed its removal.
Apple is asking Epic to resubmit the app update without including the US storefront of the App Store so that only the US market would be affected by its block.
The game’s brief reappearance on iOS devices in the EU was made possible by the Digital Markets Act — a regulatory framework that forced Apple to permit alternative app marketplaces. However, Fortnite was still absent from Apple’s own App Store during that period.
Earlier this month, Epic attempted to reintroduce the game to the US App Store, leveraging a recent legal victory that curbed Apple’s ability to block developers from linking to external payment options. Epic, whose American developer account had been revoked in 2020 following the inclusion of its own in-app payment system, relied on its European account to push the submission forward.
This week, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney confirmed the company had withdrawn its earlier submission and replaced it with a revised version to coincide with a scheduled update. “All platforms must update simultaneously,” he explained. He also took to X to vent frustration, arguing that imitation Fortnite apps continue to appear in the App Store while the original remains barred. He described the situation as one in which Apple’s internal processes had been “weaponized by senior management.”
