Fortnite is facing more setbacks on the App Store as the popular battle royale game is not available for iPhone users once again. Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite had submitted the app to Apple to review and list it on the App Store. But the iPhone giant has removed the game once again which means both iPhone and iPad users cannot play the game unless they have already installed it on their devices. 

The new update is the latest in the Epic Games vs Apple legal case which has the potential to disrupt Apple’s billion dollar making business. 

The company is already facing the need to allow third-party payment systems to bypass its commissions, and Epic Games has been a big part of these changes.

Taking down Fortnite, which already faced delays with the App Store reviews shows the company in a different light, one that most people are not liking. The news also comes just a few days after we helped out people with the steps to download Fortnite on iPhone and iPads in different ways. 

The Fortnite Issue For Apple 

Fortnite is more popular for being off the App Store than letting people play it. The latest issue with the game for Apple means the company has blocked its support for iPhone and iPad users. Fortnite on iOS is blocked which implies that you cannot download the game or get the latest updates for the devices. Epic Games is once again going to face the brunt of this decision and many games will not get support for the cross-platform modes on Fortnite. 

What Apple Says 

Apple has come out with a strong defence on this situation and has been quoted in a Bloomberg report saying, “We asked that Epic Sweden resubmit the app update without including the US storefront of the App Store so as not to impact Fortnite in other geographies. We did not take any action to remove the live version of Fortnite from alternative distribution marketplaces in the EC." 

The legal case between Apple and Epic Games has been going on since 2020 but this year the Court decided to sanction a major order where Apple was ordered to allow apps like Fortnite to be linked to external payment modes, and not take any commission from the app developers for the same. 

Apple has previously hit back at Epic Games for filing a lawsuit against its App Store policies, saying the Fortnite game developer has created its own problems and Epic’s actions are putting the “entire App Store model at risk".

This is unlikely to be the last of the Fortnite on iPhone episode as both the companies are not willing to relent and want to get their own way with the help of the legal channels in the country.