Fortnite, the globally popular multiplayer shooter from Epic Games, has officially returned to the US App Store for iOS after nearly five years of absence, bringing the prolonged legal standoff between Epic and Apple closer to an end. This was revealed through social media posts by Epic Games and on CEO Tim Sweeney's page on X (Twitter).

The game's return in May marked a significant victory for Epic Games, which had been fighting since 2020 to restore Fortnite in Apple's digital store after the game was removed for bypassing the company's internal payment system. Fortnite is also once again available in the Epic Games Store and AltStore in the European Union, the company announced on social media platform X.

Fortnite was initially removed from the App Store in August 2020 after Epic introduced a direct payment method, violating Apple's policy regarding a 30% commission. This move led to a multi-year legal and regulatory battle, which concluded this month with a federal judge's ruling requiring Apple to allow the game's return to the platform.

Following U.S. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers' decision, Epic submitted the Fortnite app to Apple on May 9 through its Swedish developer account. The app included both Apple's in-app purchase system and an external payment option from Epic. However, Apple delayed approval, prompting Epic to seek court intervention last week.

On Monday, May 20, the judge warned that if Apple did not resolve the situation, a company representative would be required to appear in court to explain the delay. Within hours, Epic and Apple filed a joint notice resolving all disputed issues regarding Fortnite.

Apple has yet to publicly comment on the game's return to the store. The company has also filed an appeal against the court ruling prohibiting it from blocking external payment links or charging commissions on them.

The conflict between Epic and Apple began as a broad criticism from Epic CEO Tim Sweeney, who accused Apple of monopolistic control over the App Store. This case became a significant milestone in the global discussion on regulating digital platforms and fair competition.

At its peak on Apple devices, Fortnite had over 116 million users on iOS alone. As of today, the game boasts over 400 million players worldwide, maintaining its status as one of the most popular games.

To encourage users to make purchases through its own payment systems, Epic offers a 20% cashback in "Epic Rewards" for purchases in Fortnite, as well as in other company games like Rocket League and Fall Guys. So now you can check Fortnite in App Store and donwnload it.

Although the legal saga is not yet over — Apple's appeal is still under consideration — this prolonged struggle has already altered the digital app market and set new precedents for developer rights and platform governance rules.