Following years-long legal battle between Epic Games and Apple, Fortnite is set to return to the U.S. iOS App Store next week, nearly five years after its removal. The announcement comes after a federal judge found Apple in violation of a 2021 injunction, with the case now referred to criminal prosecutors due to findings of contempt of court against several Apple executives.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney marked the moment on social media, writing:
“No fees on web transactions. Game over for the Apple Tax. Apple’s 15-30% junk fees are now just as dead here in the United States of America as they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. Unlawful here, unlawful there. 4 years 4 months 17 days.”
The legal feud between Epic and Apple dates back to August 2020, when Epic introduced a direct payment option within Fortnite, bypassing Apple’s mandatory 30% commission on in-app purchases. Apple swiftly removed Fortnite from the App Store, sparking a lawsuit and the #FreeFortnite campaign, which portrayed Apple’s practices as monopolistic.
More:xQc Signs with Kick
While Epic lost on several fronts in the 2021 court decision, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers did issue an injunction barring Apple from preventing developers from directing users to alternative payment systems outside the App Store. However, Apple’s response—imposing a 27% fee on such transactions and introducing warning screens aimed at discouraging users—has now been deemed noncompliant with that order.
“Apple’s response to the Injunction strains credulity,” Judge Gonzalez Rogers wrote in a sharply worded ruling. “After two sets of evidentiary hearings, the truth emerged. Apple, despite knowing its obligations thereunder, thwarted the Injunction’s goals, and continued its anticompetitive conduct solely to maintain its revenue stream.”
The ruling marks a major victory for Epic and could have wide-reaching implications for Apple’s App Store model, particularly in the United States, where the company has until now largely defended its commission-based ecosystem.
Read
Source Editing
Visual Editing
Related news
