Apple removed Fortnite from the App store after Epic used its own in-app purchase gateway instead of the one required by Apple, avoiding paying Apple a 30% cut from purchases. For breaching the policy, Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store on iOS, and Epic sued the company.

On September 10, a judge ruled that Apple must allow App Store developers to link to third-party payment options and reach out to users, telling them about other options, which were not allowed before. To a certain degree, Epic achieved a few changes and it certainly helped the community and other businesses, but the fight is far from over, and neither sides looked like “real” winners.

Now, roughly two weeks after the hearing, Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, took to Twitter to confirm that Fortnite will not be coming back onto iOS anytime soon until at least the company is appealing some of the court’s decision and ruling.

Epic’s Fortnite was suspended indefinitely from the App Store, and Apple is currently allowed to do that under the court’s ruling. Tim mentions that Apple claimed that it would reinstate the popular action game if Epic complied with the App Store’s policy. However, Epic confirmed that even after complying with the changes, Apple refused to reinstate its developer account and let it back onto the store.

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.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 22, 2021

Apple has confirmed that Tim Sweney’s screenshots are indeed legitimate and true, and the termination was lawful and enforceable. It remains to be seen what the end will look like; however, don’t expect to see Fortnite back on the App Store again for quite a while, since this could take a few more years until both sides agree upon a decision. If you want to play Fortnite, your current only option is to download it on an Android device or play on PC or a gaming console.