Summary
- Fortnite has not yet been approved by Apple, forcing Epic to resubmit to the App Store.
- Conflict over 30% markup on in-game transactions led to a court ruling in favor of Epic Games.
- Gamers in the US may have to wait until after May 16 for Fortnite to return to iOS devices.
Fortnite has not been approved by Apple yet, and Epic Games has been forced to resubmit it to the App Store once again following an unresponsive period. Fortnite has been unavailable on iOS devices in the US for nearly five years due to conflict over Epic Games trying to bypass Apple's 30% markup on in-game transactions. The situation was handled in court, and the judge ruled in favor of Epic Games, forcing Apple to abolish the tax applied to these purchases.
On May 1, Tim Sweeney, the founder of Epic Games, shared with the community that Fortnite was expected to return to iOS devices in the US by the end of the following week. On May 9, gamers were led to believe that this could happen sooner than expected, as Epic Games announced that Fortnite had been submitted to Apple for review so it could become available in the US as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it did not go as smoothly as many thought it would, as the app's status remained unknown for well over the usual review time.
Anticipated Star Wars Character Might Get One More Fortnite Skin Than Initially Expected
May's Fortnite x Star Wars collab is far from over, and rumors hint that one of the most anticipated characters will actually get two skins.
According to ShiinaBR, Epic Games has now canceled its original review request and resubmitted Fortnite once again. Additionally, it seems that the version of the game that was resubmitted features the now-delayed Fortnite patch, initially scheduled for Thursday, May 15. Therefore, this makes it clear that Fortnite will not return to iOS in the US before May 16, as this is the update's new release date. However, since it took over five days before Epic canceled the first review request, it's possible that it could take much longer than that.
When Can You Expect Fortnite to Return to iOS Devices in the US?
- After May 16
In a previous tweet, ShiinaBR mentioned that 50 percent of apps only need 24 hours before being reviewed by Apple. Furthermore, when the timer hits the 48-hour mark, 90 percent of apps have already been reviewed. It is definitely strange that Apple has taken this long to decide if Fortnite will make it into the App Store or not. Many gamers have started to speculate that this is related to the conflict that arose between the two companies. If Apple wants to deny Fortnite entry, then it will have to find a reason to do so.
Unfortunately, all of these issues mean that gamers who were excited to return to Fortnite mobile will have to wait a few days longer. Hopefully, Epic Games will find a way to make it up to those who have stood by for long. When the game returned to mobile devices in other regions, Epic rewarded players with the free Katalina skin in Fortnite, so it wouldn't come as a surprise if it did something similar.
Fortnite
- Released
- September 26, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
Play Fortnite your way.
Be the last player standing in Battle Royale, Zero Build, Reload, and Fortnite OG, explore LEGO Fortnite experiences, blast to the finish with Rocket Racing or headline a concert with Fortnite Festival. Play thousands of free creator made islands with friends including deathruns, tycoons, racing, zombie survival and more! Join the creator community and build your own island with Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) or Fortnite Creative tools.
Each Fortnite island has an individual age rating so you can find the one that's right for you and your friends. Find it all in Fortnite!
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Diverse Content: Discretion Advised, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
- Publisher(s)
- Epic Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms (except iOS/Mac)
- Cross Save
- Via Epic Account
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players (online)
- PC Release Date
- September 26, 2017
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- November 10, 2020
- PS5 Release Date
- November 12, 2020
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- June 12, 2018
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- June 5, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-4 players (certain modes)
- X|S Optimized
- YES
