Fortnite maker Epic Games announced that Apple has blocked the game’s return to iOS. Following the rejection, Fortnite is no longer available on iPhones and iPads even in the European Union, where it had previously been available to download trough the Epic Games Store, The Verge reported.
“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,” the company posted on the official Fortnite X account. “Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be online worldwide until Apple unblocks it.”
The Verge has confirmed that the game is no longer available to download on iOS from the Epic Games Store or the alternative marketplace AltStore in PAL in the EU, where it has previously been available.
However, according to Apple, that isn’t its doing.
“We asked the Epic Sweden resubmit the app update without including the US storefront of the App Store so as to not impact Fortnite in other geographies,” Apple spokesperson Olivia Dalton tells The Verge. “We did not take any action to remove the live version of Fortnite from alternative distribution marketplaces.
TechCrunch reported: Epic Games claims that Apple is blocking its Fortnite app from the U.S. and EU App Stores.
After winning a decisive victory for app developers in a legal battle with Apple, forcing the tech giant to allow external payments in its App Store without charging commission, Epic Games attempted to resubmit Fortnite to the U.S. App Store on May 9, 2025.
However, Apple failed to accept its submission for a week, leading Epic Games to pull its request and try again. According to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, the update was pulled because Epic Games needs to realize a weekly Fortnite update with new content, and all platforms must be updated simultaneously.
The company then submitted a new version to the U.S. App Store for review on Wednesday, March 14, with the updated content.
A spokesperson for Apple said the following: “We asked Epic Sweden to resubmit the app update without including the U.S. storefront of the App Store so as not to impact Fortnite in other geographies. We did not take any action to remove the live version of Fortnite from alternative distribution marketplaces in the EC.”
CNBC reported: Fortnite’s iOS App Store resubmission was denied by Apple, Epic Games said Friday, the latest move in a drawn-out tussle over the payment structure of the iPhone makers application platform.
Apple said in a statement later Friday that it did not remove Fortnite from alternative distribution and marketplaces.
Epic Games submitted Fortnite to Apple’s U.S. App Store last week, a month after a judge ruled the iPhone maker was not allowed to charge a commission on purchases that consumers make outside of an iOS app.