Apple Restricts Access to Fortnite in US and EU, Claims Epic Games – One America News Network
By Reuters
May 16, 2025 – 4:35 AM PDT
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Epic Games announced on Friday that Apple (AAPL.O) has prohibited access to the “Fortnite” video game on its iPhones in the United States and through Epic’s own store in the European Union.
Access to Fortnite via Apple’s iPhone Operating System and the App Store will remain unavailable globally until further notice from Apple, according to Epic Games.
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Apple did not provide an immediate comment, and Epic did not disclose the reasons behind the game’s blockage.
Epic, a U.S.-based studio supported by China’s Tencent (0700.HK), is recognized as the largest game studio in the world. Since its debut in 2017, its last-player-standing “battle royale” format has attracted millions of players.
However, Epic has been in a legal dispute with Apple since 2020, claiming that Apple’s practice of taking up to 30% in commissions on in-app transactions breaches U.S. antitrust laws.
Fortnite was banned from the App Store in 2020, but after pressure from European Union regulators for Big Tech to adhere to the Digital Markets Act, Apple allowed the game back last year.
Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm; editing by Barbara Lewis
