Epic Games submitted Fortnite to the App Store for review on Friday. Now what? The version under review offers both Apple’s in-app purchase system and an external payment option via the Epic Games Store. But despite recent policy changes forced by a federal injunction, Apple isn’t legally required to approve the app. Still, rejecting Fortnite could deal Apple a blow in the court of public opinion, especially as its standing with developers continues to slip.
Epic nuked Fortnite to attack Apple’s 30%
Fortnite has been absent from the App Store in the U.S. since 2020, when Epic Games slipped a direct payment option for V-Bucks into the app — deliberately violating Apple’s rules. The move was a calculated protest against Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases, and it sparked a years-long antitrust battle between the two companies.
Last week, Epic claimed victory after a federal judge ruled that Apple could no longer block developers from linking to or advertising external payment methods. The ruling also prohibited Apple from applying a 27% commission on out-of-app purchases initiated through in-app links. To reintroduce Fortnite to the App Store, Epic is using its EU developer account after Apple terminated its original U.S. account for openly violating its legal business contract.
Apple has appealed the court decision and filed an emergency stay request to halt the enforcement of the injunction. If the stay is approved, Apple would presumably be permitted to revert to the original App Store rules in the U.S. and retain its commission on out-of-app purchases originating from iOS apps within seven days of a transaction being made. While the appeal process won’t resolve anytime soon, we should know the fate of the stay request by the end of the month.
Will Fortnite actually return to the U.S. App Store?
Separately, Epic Games has submitted Fortnite to the U.S. App Store. Why now? Epic deliberately sacrified Fortnite in 2020 to protest Apple’s in-app purchase rules. Five years later, Apple has been forced to change the exact policy that Epic was fighting.
While the legal injunction reshapes the App Store business model, it doesn’t require Apple to accept Fortnite back. Epic’s intent in returning, though, is clear: to demonstrate payment choice and participate in a set of business terms that it views as fair. The version of Fortnite submitted for review uses Apple’s in-app purchase system and includes a button that directs users to the Epic Games Store checkout instead.
Still, Apple being forced to open up its App Store doesn’t guarantee that Epic will benefit from the more competitive environment it helped create. If Fortnite is rejected, Epic ends up a kind of martyr — excluded even as Apple is forced to compete. That outcome could make Apple look petty and punitive as a company, even if skepticism toward Epic feels reasonable on a personal level.
It’s too early to accuse Apple of stonewalling Fortnite in the review process though. While Apple says it approves 90% of apps within 24 hours, developers often experience delays over the weekend. A Friday submission might not be reviewed until Monday, setting the stage for a Tuesday release. If there’s still no movement by midweek, however, it may be time to question whether Fortnite’s return is actually underway.
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