Fortnite returns to global App Stores as Epic presses Apple lawsuit

Fortnite returned to App Stores worldwide as Epic Games said Tuesday it expects a U.S. federal court to compel Apple to publicly disclose how it justifies charging developers up to 30 percent on in-app purchases, The Korea Times reported.

The global return marks a turning point in a years-long antitrust fight over App Store commission policies — a dispute that courts and regulators worldwide are watching closely as it could reshape how tech platforms charge developers and capture digital revenue.

Fortnite was removed from the App Store in 2020 after Epic bypassed Apple's in-app billing system and offered players lower prices through direct payments — a move Apple said violated its developer terms. The game spent nearly five years off the platform before returning to the U.S. App Store in 2025, according to The Korea Times.

At the center of the lawsuit is Apple's practice of charging developers commissions of up to 30 percent on in-app transactions. Epic alleges that policy violates U.S. antitrust law and says it is now confident the federal court will force Apple to justify the fee structure publicly.

"Apple knows the U.S. federal court will force it to be transparent about how it charges its App Store fees," Epic said in a statement. The company predicted that greater transparency would prompt action from regulators in other markets. "Once Apple is forced to show its costs, governments around the world will not allow Apple junk fees to stand," Epic said.

The Korea Times reported that Fortnite is now available across global App Stores, with one exception: the title has not returned to the Australian App Store, where Apple has continued to enforce developer terms that a court previously found unlawful.

The game's commercial stakes are significant. Fortnite draws millions of daily players who spend heavily on in-game cosmetics, making the title's presence on Apple's marketplace a meaningful revenue question for both companies.

The global rollout comes as Epic navigates internal pressures. The studio cut more than 1,000 jobs earlier this year, citing declining player engagement driven by broader macroeconomic conditions.

The antitrust case remains pending in U.S. federal court. Epic is pushing for a ruling it says could force Apple to restructure how it charges developers across its global platform — and that would embolden regulators worldwide to act.