Apple has blocked Fortnite’s submission to return to the U.S. App Store, leading to the game being offline on iOS worldwide. Epic Games accused Apple of violating a court injunction by blocking Fortnite’s return. The judge overseeing the case has expressed frustration with Apple’s defiance and arranged a hearing for May 27.
An Apple executive responsible for compliance will need to attend. The court stated: “Briefing shall occur on the schedule listed below and shall include the legal authority upon which Apple contends that it can ignore this Court’s order having not received a stay from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal even though its request was filed twelve days ago on May 7, 2025.
Apple maintains that the injunction does not change its right to have terminated the Epic Games developer account in 2020. The company has reiterated that it will not consider reinstating Fortnite until all U.S. litigation has concluded.
Hearing set for Fortnite dispute
Apple is appealing a court ruling that requires changes to its App Store rules, allowing developers to link to external purchase options. The appeal is still pending.
Despite complying with the court’s other requirements by allowing apps like Spotify and Patreon to offer web purchase links, Apple remains firm on its stance regarding Fortnite. Fortnite remains offline worldwide as Epic Games chooses not to distribute the EU version of the game through its alternative app marketplace. Epic Games continues to attribute Fortnite’s absence to Apple’s policies and has voiced its discontent on social media.
The outcome of the upcoming hearing could determine whether Fortnite will return to the U.S. App Store or if Apple will persist with its legal appeal. For now, the gaming community watches and waits as this high-stakes corporate battle unfolds.
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