Apple reinstated Epic Games Sweden AB’s developer account in March 2024, clearing a path for Fortnite to return to iPhones and iPads in the European Union through the Epic Games Store. That did not put Fortnite back in Apple’s App Store at the time. The EU launch followed in August 2024; by May 2026, Epic said Fortnite was back on the App Store worldwide, with Australia still an exception.
What Apple actually reinstated
“Apple unbans Epic Games” was shorthand for a narrower action: Apple restored the developer account belonging to Epic Games Sweden AB, Epic’s European entity. It did not reinstate every Epic account or immediately restore Fortnite to Apple’s App Store.
The distinction matters because Fortnite had been removed from the App Store in August 2020, after Epic introduced a direct payment option that bypassed Apple’s in-app payment rules. Apple also terminated Epic’s developer account during that dispute. In early 2024, Epic’s Swedish subsidiary obtained an account for its planned European mobile marketplace. Apple terminated that account on March 6, 2024, then committed to reinstate it on March 8 after Epic went public and the European Commission signaled it would examine the matter. Epic’s account of the termination and reinstatement sets out the sequence.
Why the EU was different
The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) designated Apple as a gatekeeper for services that include iOS and the App Store. The law required changes that opened a framework for alternative app marketplaces and other distribution and payment options. This gave Epic a route to distribute Fortnite on iOS without first returning the game to Apple’s App Store. The same DMA framework did not apply in the United States in February 2024. Apple describes its EU changes in its DMA overview, while the European Commission’s DMA questions and answers explain the law’s scope.
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For this issue, “EU” is more accurate than “Europe”: the DMA covers the EU’s 27 member states, not every European country. The United Kingdom is outside the EU framework and has a separate regulatory path. Japan later became another market where Epic’s iOS store was available, according to Epic’s regional availability guidance.
How Fortnite’s 2024 EU return was meant to work
Epic’s original plan was to operate the Epic Games Store for iOS in the EU and offer Fortnite through that marketplace. It was not a plan to have Apple relist Fortnite in its own store. The proposed path involved Apple authorizing the marketplace and notarizing its apps, then users installing the marketplace and downloading Fortnite through it.
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- Epic Games Sweden AB operates the Epic Games Store for iOS in an eligible EU country.
- Epic submits the marketplace and its apps to Apple’s applicable authorization and notarization processes.
- The user installs the Epic Games Store using an eligible installation route and downloads Fortnite from it.
- Epic distributes updates through its marketplace, subject to regional eligibility and the applicable platform rules.
Apple’s EU system allows alternative marketplaces, marketplace authorization, app notarization outside the App Store, and website-based installation of authorized marketplaces. It also permits certain alternative payment options and external purchase links under applicable EU business terms. These are not Apple-free channels: Apple retains important roles in authorization and security review. The technical requirements are detailed in Apple’s DMA developer documentation and its DMA compliance report.
What users should weigh before choosing a marketplace
An alternative marketplace changes the installation and support relationship; it does not mean that every app is uncontrolled or that every safeguard is identical to the App Store. Apple’s notarization and related checks still apply in its EU framework, while marketplace operators take on ongoing responsibilities for developers and customer support. Apple warns that alternative distribution can involve additional security risks; that is Apple’s stated concern, not proof that every alternative marketplace or app is unsafe.
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Why fees were part of the fight
The Apple–Epic conflict was about more than whether a game could be installed. Epic challenged Apple’s control over app distribution, payments, and commissions, and the EU marketplace route gave Epic the chance to operate a competing store and offer alternative purchasing mechanisms.
The February 2024 coverage discussed Apple’s then-current EU terms, including a €0.50 Core Technology Fee for qualifying first annual installs above one million. That was a historical policy detail, not a complete description of today’s terms. Apple’s developer documentation describes later changes, including a 5% Core Technology Commission from June 26, 2025, and revised charging treatment from January 1, 2026. The applicable terms depend on the distribution and payment model; developers should consult Apple’s current EU developer requirements rather than apply the 2024 figure as a standing fee.
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What happened after the 2024 announcement
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| August 2020 | Apple removed Fortnite after Epic added a payment option that bypassed Apple’s rules. |
| March 6, 2024 | Apple terminated Epic Games Sweden AB’s developer account. |
| March 8, 2024 | Apple committed to reinstate the account after Epic raised the issue publicly and the European Commission indicated it would examine it. |
| August 2024 | Fortnite and the Epic Games Store launched on iOS in the EU through alternative distribution. |
| May 16, 2025 | A later Fortnite submission dispute made the game temporarily unavailable on iOS worldwide. Apple said it had asked Epic to submit an EU-only version; it did not describe the event as removing the live EU marketplace version. |
| May 19–20, 2025 | Fortnite returned to the U.S. App Store after the later legal dispute. |
| May 19, 2026 | Epic announced that Fortnite was back on the App Store worldwide, while noting Australia had not yet returned. |
For the May 2025 dispute, see Tom’s Guide’s coverage of Apple’s explanation and the Associated Press account of Fortnite’s U.S. return. The August 2024 EU launch is also covered in 9to5Mac’s Fortnite timeline.
Where Fortnite is available on iPhone now
Epic’s May 19, 2026 announcement said Fortnite had returned to the App Store worldwide, with Australia still an exception at that point. Epic’s current support and mobile pages describe the Epic Games Store as available on iOS in the EU and Japan on iPhone, while Fortnite is available through the App Store in other supported locations. Because availability can change by market and device, check Epic’s iOS page and its 2026 announcement for the latest status.
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The episode is a useful test of what the DMA changes in practice: a major publisher gained a path to distribute a rival marketplace, but Apple still shaped key security and authorization processes. The 2024 reinstatement opened that route; it neither settled the broader Apple–Epic conflict nor meant Fortnite had returned to Apple’s App Store then.
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