"Fortnite" for iOS: War over developer accounts and alternative app stores

It has been clear since Friday that the long-awaited “Fortnite” will not be – available in the regular American App Store as Epic Games had hoped following a successful US court case –. After initial speculation that Apple had blocked the application worldwide, the iPhone company has now provided information for the first time. According to this, Epic Games itself is to blame for the fact that the game is now no longer available in the so-called alternative App Marketplaces that Apple allows in the European Union.

Update remains offline

In the USA, a judge ordered Apple to stop blocking apps with web payments in the App Store. Epic Games submitted a corresponding update to Apple's App Review on May 9. However, nothing happened at first – although Apple claims that 90 percent of all updates are waved through in 24 hours. As Epic Games updates “Fortnite” on a weekly basis, the submission was withdrawn and a new version was submitted. But there was no response here either. Finally, Epic Games stated on Friday that Apple had blocked the “Fortnite” submission “so we cannot publish it to the US App Store or the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union,” the company said. “Sadly, Fortnite on iOS will now remain offline until Apple unblocks it.”

But according to Apple, that's not quite true. Apple told Bloomberg that the non-release was due to something else. Epic Games Sweden – the company that still has a developer account with Apple, was asked to submit the update “without the US storefront” after the US account was blocked – so that “Fortnite” would not be affected in other geographical regions. “US Storefront” in this case means the version with integrated web payments, which Apple always wanted to prevent. Apple also wrote that it had “taken no action” to stop the distribution of the live version of Fortnite from alternative app marketplaces in the European Union.

Tree and bark

Both Epic Games itself and Apple thus appear to be doing their part to prevent Fortnite on the iPhone. Epic Games always brings the game up to date with regular updates, which have to be released simultaneously on all platforms worldwide. As this did not happen with the version for the alternative app marketplaces in the EU – because Apple had blocked the new version with “US Storefront” – the game is offline “for everyone”. Apple itself is stubbornly refusing to accept a version of Fortnite that is valid for all platforms. They want Epic Games Sweden to submit a version without web payment for the USA, which could then be made available in the EU.

However, Epic Games has no other option but to use Epic Games Sweden, as Apple has blocked the American developer account during the long-running court case. Apple therefore has no contract with Epic Games America and does not feel compelled to distribute “Fortnite” there – despite the court ruling. The question now is how the dispute will continue. Epic boss Tim Sweeney had already stated that he would be “very surprised” if Apple were to go through with blocking an “important iOS app” and enter into a “geopolitical storm”.

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