Epic Games' ongoing dispute with Apple over Fortnite's availability on iOS devices has escalated further, with Epic alleging that Apple is deliberately obstructing its ability to relaunch the game on the U.S. App Store.

Earlier this month, Epic's CEO, Tim Sweeney, announced that Fortnite would soon return to iOS devices in the U.S. following a pivotal court ruling. On April 30, a U.S. Federal District Court in California ruled that Apple had willfully violated a court order in the Epic Games v. Apple case. The order mandated Apple to allow developers to provide alternative payment methods outside of the app ecosystem.

Epic's Tim Sweeney remains steadfast in his mission to challenge Apple and Google, vowing to continue the fight for as long as necessary. Photo by SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg. In January, IGN highlighted Sweeney's substantial financial commitment to this battle, noting his expenditure of billions of dollars against Apple and Google. Sweeney views this as a strategic investment in Epic and Fortnite's future, confident that Epic can sustain the legal battle for decades.

Sweeney's efforts to reinstate Fortnite on iOS and Android devices without incurring the standard 30% app store fees are well-documented. Epic's goal is to distribute Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store, bypassing the fees imposed by Apple and Google. This conflict led to Fortnite's exclusion from iOS in 2020.

Despite Sweeney's recent announcement, Fortnite has yet to return to iOS, prompting Epic to release a statement to IGN:

“Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.”

“Hi Tim. How about if you let our mutual customers access Fortnite? Just a thought.”

Hi Tim. How about if you let our mutual customers access Fortnite? Just a thought.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 15, 2025

Following the court's ruling, Apple was referred to federal prosecutors for non-compliance with the U.S. court order. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating, "Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated. This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order."

The Judge also referred Apple and its vice president of finance, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation due to misleading testimony regarding Apple's compliance efforts. In response, Apple expressed disagreement with the ruling but affirmed its intention to comply and appeal. Last week, Apple requested a stay of the ruling from the U.S. appeals court.