Fortnite, the widely popular battle royale game developed by Epic Games, has become unavailable on iOS devices across the globe. Epic Games confirmed the game’s removal with an announcement on its official account on the social media site X. It came about after Apple successfully blocked an Epic request to have Fortnite returned to the App Store in the United States. Accordingly, players will continue to be unable to play Fortnite on iOS until Apple unilaterally lifts their prohibitive measures.
Recently, Epic Games lost its fights on both the U.S. and European Union fronts. They were prevented from offering Fortnite through their Epic Games Store for iOS devices. This ruling unnecessarily adds months to the time that players will be able to actually play the game on their Apple devices.
Fortnite was previously available on iOS and attracted millions of players worldwide, contributing significantly to its status as one of the most popular games in the industry. Following this new action from Apple, users have been thrown into a limbo where they have no access to the game until further notice.
They wrote, in part, “Unfortunately, Fortnite on iOS will be offline globally until Apple reinstates it. While it reads like a defeatist statement, it echoes the frustration of both Epic Games and its players. Millions of users are still clamoring for the popular game’s return to their smartphones and devices.
Another quote from the official account emphasized the ongoing challenges faced by Epic Games: “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.” This brings up the most important aspect: without Apple’s collaboration, Fortnite will not be on its App Store. Consequently, iOS users will still be unable to play the game.
As this situation develops, players will need to monitor updates from Epic Games and Apple regarding when Fortnite might return to iOS. All the while, Epic Games still seems to be looking for ways to bring its popular game back on both sides of the Atlantic.