Epic Games CEO Says Fortnite Won’t Be In iOS App Store

After more than one year legal between Apple and Epic Games, it looked like things were tilting in the latter’s favor when a federal judge earlier this month issued a permanent injunction authorize iOS developers to direct users to third-party payment portals. But today Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said Apple informed the company that Fortnite will be blacklisted “until all legal remedies are exhausted”.

“Apple lied”, Sweeney wrote on Twitter. “Apple spent a year telling the world, the court, and the press that they ‘would welcome the return of Epic to the App Store if they agreed to play by the same rules as everyone else.’ Epic agreed, and now Apple has given up on yet another abuse of its monopoly power over a billion users.

Sweeney then included screenshots of an email he sent to Phil schiller, who runs the App Store and Apple Events. The email is dated September 16, 2021 and Sweeney notes in it that Apple has turned off server-side payments and paid Apple $ 6 million as court ordered. He also notes that Epic has asked Apple to reactivate its Fortnite development account — that Apple finished last year– and assured Schiller that the company would follow Apple’s guidelines.

“Epic will resubmit Fortnite to the App Store if you follow the plain language of the court order and allow apps to include buttons and external links that direct customers to other shopping mechanisms without onerous terms or impediments to a good experience user ”, Sweeney wrote in the email, referring to the injunction issued earlier this month.

Sweeney then posted another screenshot of a letter from Apple’s legal team. In it, Apple notes that Epic’s developer account was terminated “for cause” due to “intentional breach of contract.” He goes on to quote Sweeney’s previous public statements saying that Epic wouldn’t trade alternative payments just to get Fortnite back on the App Store.

“In light of this statement and others since the court ruling, coupled with Epic’s deceptive conduct in the past, Apple has exercised its discretion not to reinstate Epic’s Developer Program account for the moment, “the letter says. “In addition, Apple will not consider any further reinstatement applications until the district court’s judgment becomes final and without appeal.”

Clearly there is no love lost between the two companies. This also isn’t the first time Epic has tried to get Fortnite reinstated. Last year he asked the court to put Fortnite back in the app store as his legal battles with Apple continued. It didn’t end well for Epic, as the court ruled that Apple’s decision to delete the account was “valid, legal and enforceable.”

To be fair, at no point in the court injunction does it say that Apple had to restore the Fortnite application. In his email to Schiller, Sweeney also said: “That Epic chooses to bring Fortnite Returning to iOS consumers depends on whether and where Apple updates its guidelines to provide a level playing field between Apple In-App purchase and other payment methods. This line, as well as the reference by Apple’s legal team to “duplicity of conduct in the past,Is perhaps an indication that the company is wary of Epic’s Trend for the Show should he leave Fortnite back to App Storn up.

TL; DR—Do not expect Fortnite to return to iOS App Store, or any part of the Apple ecosystem, in the near future, or at least not before the whole legal process is complete. According to Sweeney, it could take up to five years. Gizmodo contacted Apple to comment on the question and we’ll update this story if they provide an official statement.