The popular title from Epic Games, Fortnite, is making its long-awaited return to the iOS App Store in the U.S.
According to court documents obtained and reviewed by Variety, a California district court has ruled that Apple knowingly violated a court order in the legal case between Epic Games and Apple. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers stated:
“The Court finds that Apple has intentionally violated the 2021 injunction designed to curb its anti-competitive and anti-consumer pricing behavior. Apple’s ongoing efforts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated.”
Epic vs. Apple: The Legal Battle
Epic’s lawsuit against Apple accused the tech giant of running a monopoly, taking a 30% cut from all in-app purchases while banning external payment methods. The court documents further emphasized:
“This is a court order—not a negotiation. When a party deliberately ignores a court ruling, there are no second chances. Time is of the essence. The Court will not tolerate further delays. As previously ordered, Apple may no longer block competition. Apple is now prohibited from introducing new anti-competitive measures to avoid compliance. Effective immediately, Apple must not interfere with developers’ ability to communicate with users, nor can it impose new fees for out-of-app purchases.”
Apple Accused of Lying Under Oath
The ruling also states that Apple’s VP of Finance, Alex Roman, lied under oath. According to Judge Rogers:
“In direct contradiction to Apple’s earlier courtroom testimony, internal business documents show that Apple knew exactly what it was doing and consistently chose the most anti-competitive path at every stage.”
Apple Responds to the Ruling
On Wednesday evening, Apple shared a statement with Variety, saying:
“We strongly disagree with this decision. However, we will comply with the court’s ruling and plan to appeal.”
Apple had removed Fortnite and other Epic Games titles from the App Store in August 2020 and suspended Epic’s developer account after the company filed its anti-trust lawsuit against Apple.
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney Reacts
In response to the court’s decision, Tim Sweeney, the founder and CEO of Epic Games, posted a series of tweets on X:
“No fees for web transactions. The Apple tax game is over. Apple’s tiny 15–30% commissions are now as dead in the U.S. as they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. Illegal here, illegal there.”
What’s Next for Fortnite? A Star Wars Collaboration
In other news, it was recently revealed that Fortnite will soon feature its biggest crossover yet—with Star Wars. More details are expected to be announced soon, making it an exciting time for fans of both franchises.
