Fortnite won’t return to iPhone for at least 5 years

Despite the court ruling in favor of Epic, Fortnite is not going to make its comeback on the App Store for some time. Apple has indeed informed the developer that the game will continue to be banned until the court’s final judgment. Following the call from Tim Sweeney’s company, it could take at least 5 years.

A few days ago, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers pronounced a half-hearted conclusion in the lawsuit between Apple and Epic Games for several months. If the latter emerges overall winner, having succeeded in forcing his opponent to lift the ban on including in-app purchases within the App Store, justice also considered that the Cupertino company does not abuse its dominant position. In other words, Epic’s plans to offer its own store on iOS have fallen through.

But this decision also has other consequences. Indeed, thinking he had won the lawsuit, Tim Sweeney immediately asked Apple to restore Epic’s developer account, which allows applications to be published on the App Store. However, the respondent’s response was not as expected. In an email sent to the CEO, the editor explains in fact that nothing obliges him to lift the ban on the developer, and this, until the final end of the trial, that is to say not before at least five years.

App Store – Apple to lose billions of dollars a year in Epic Games lawsuit

Apple still doesn’t want Epic on the App Store

Indeed, justice has indeed sided with Apple on the issue of the rules broken by Epic Games. The latter has willfully violated the terms of use of the App Store in effect at the time of the release of Fortnite. In addition to the financial compensation that the developer must pay to the Cupertino company, the latter considers that this gives it the right to continue to ban it from its devices.

Epic Games is not mistaken, since the studio immediately appealed after the court decision. Only, that will necessarily lengthen the duration of the procedure. Apple retorted that its restrictions will remain until “The judgment of the district court becomes final and not subject to appeal”. The battle is therefore not ready to be over.