Apple has blocked access to the popular video game Fortnite on iPhones in the United States and via the Epic Games Store in Europe, according to a statement released by the game’s developer, Epic Games. The restriction, which took effect globally, means users can no longer play the game through Apple’s iOS or its App Store. Epic stated that the game will remain inaccessible until Apple decides to lift the block, though it did not offer a specific reason for the decision. Apple has not yet issued a comment on the matter.
The development comes as a fresh blow in the ongoing rivalry between Apple and Epic Games. Despite regulatory pressure from the European Union that had previously compelled Apple to reinstate Fortnite on its platforms, the game has once again been pulled. Epic Games, backed by Chinese tech giant Tencent, said the ban affects all iPhone users and cuts off access to millions of players who rely on Apple devices.
This incident revives a legal dispute that began in 2020, when Epic challenged Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases, arguing that the policy violated U.S. antitrust laws. That year, Apple removed Fortnite from its App Store, prompting legal action. Although the game was restored last year following the EU’s enforcement of its Digital Markets Act, tensions clearly persist between the two companies.
Earlier this month, Epic Games secured a legal win against Apple, a development that seemed to mark a turning point in their protracted conflict. The removal of Fortnite, despite that courtroom success and prior regulatory compliance, has cast fresh doubts over the future of the game on Apple’s ecosystem. Observers now await whether further legal or regulatory steps will follow in response to Apple’s latest action