It has been several weeks since a US court ruled that Apple could no longer block developers from using third-party payment providers for in-app purchases. This move opened the door up for Fortnite to return to the iOS App Store. However, Apple is now finding seemingly new excuses to keep the game off the store
Epic Games resubmitted Fortnite for the App Store on the 9th of May and by May 14th, Apple had still not approved the game. Now, Epic says that Apple has “blocked” Fortnite's return to the App Store:
Epic says that Fortnite on iOS “will be offline worldwide” until Apple unblocks the game. Apple has not publicly commented on the matter.
Fortnite had existed on the iOS App Store for years before Apple pulled the game due to an update that included a third-party payment method, circumventing Apple's rules that all apps use Apple Pay. Since then, courts around the world have ruled this practice as illegal, forcing Apple to allow developers to use third-party systems for in-app purchases. In some parts of the world, Apple has also been forced into allowing third-party stores and app sideloading.
KitGuru Says: I expect we'll get more news on this in the next week. Epic wants Fortnite back on iOS, so it is going to be pushing as much as it can.