STORY: :: Epic Games
Popular multiplayer shooter game “Fortnite” is back on Apple’s App Store in the U.S. after a nearly five-year ban.
Fortnite is made by Epic Games, a U.S.-based studio backed by China’s Tencent.
They have been locked in a legal battle with Apple since 2020.
Epic Games alleged the tech giant’s commission fees of up to 30% on in-app payments violated U.S. antitrust rules.
:: File
Fortnite became an instant success when it launched in 2017.
It’s free to play, but allows players to buy in-game currency to spend on things like a character’s appearance.
A payment system for that currency – called V-Bucks – bypassed Apple’s commissions, leading to the App Store ban.
At the time of the ban, Epic had 116 million users just on Apple’s platform.
:: Epic Games
Fortnite’s return to Apple’s iOS systems in the U.S. follows a late April ruling by a federal judge.
It said Apple violated a U.S. court order that required the company to allow greater competition for app downloads and payment methods in its App Store.
Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Fortnite’s return to its App Store, while Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney posted, quote, “we back fam” on social media platform X.
