Apple will not allow Fortnite back on the App Store at this time

Apple will not be reinstating Epic Games developer program account until “the district court’s judgement becomes final and non-appealable”. Something that Epic Games Tim Sweeney reckons could be as long as a five year process.”

Last night CEO Sweeney posted a letter to Twitter from Apple’s legal team responding to Epic’s request to reinstate its developer status and so return Fortnite to the iOS store. The letter was clear that was not going to happen anytime soon. 

Apple’s letter stated that Epic had “committed an intentional breach of contract by concealing code from Apple”. And that the court had found Apple’s termination of its license was “valid, lawful and enforceable”. To that end Apple has “exercised irs discretion not to reinstate Epic’s developer program account at this time.” Before finally stating that it wouldn’t change this stance until the legal process had fully played out. 

Late last night, Apple informed Epic that Fortnite will be blacklisted from the Apple ecosystem until the exhaustion of all court appeals, which could be as long as a 5-year process. pic.twitter.com/QCD7wogJef

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 22, 2021

On Twitter Sweeney reacted with the comment: “Apple lied. Apple spent a year telling the world, the court, and the press they’d “welcome Epic’s return to the App Store if they agree to play by the same rules as everyone else”. Epic agreed, and now Apple has reneged in another abuse of its monopoly power over a billion users.”

Epic continues to appeal the decision of the court in the initial case.