Why Did Fortnite Get Banned From The App Store?

In August 2020, Apple banned the infamous Fortnite battle royale game from the App Store. This move shocked the entire gaming community and Apple even had to face iPhone and other iOS device users’ wrath. But what made Apple take such a big decision? As nobody was aware of why Fortnite got banned from the App Store, the story started to unfold slowly. As of now, we have accurate answers to what was the reason for Apple to remove Fortnite from the App Store.

Though it is quite normal for one or more apps to get delisted from the App Store, Fortnite being removed by Apple is not so normal. It is one of the most popular games now and gamers have shown so much love for Fortnite. So, why did Apple ban Fortnite? Also, will Fortnite come back to the App Store? Let us answer all of your questions in this guide.

Why Did Apple Remove Fortnite from the App Store?

According to Apple, Epic Games breached a contract between the two companies by enabling an in-app payment method for the players. When Fortnite started its in-app payment system, Apple’s 30% commission rule got violated which is the reason why Apple banned Fortnite from the App Store. For context, Apple takes a 30% commission on every in-app purchase that a user makes. So to sum it all up, here are some pointers that explain what happened between Apple and Epic Games:

• Apple takes a 30% commission for in-app purchases.
• Epic Games introduces an in-app payment method.
• This violates Apple’s policy.
• Apple bans Fortnite from the App Store.

But the story did not end here. After Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store, Epic Games took the matter to the court. According to Epic Games, Apple has created a monopoly with its App Store.

Will Fortnite Get Unbanned from the App Store?

As of now, both the companies are stuck in legal procedures and Apple has denied unbanning Fortnite from the App Store till all these procedures come to an end. So, it can take up to 3-4 years for Fortnite to be available on the App Store again.

Here are some tweets from Tim Sweeney, the CEO, and Founder of Epic Games

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

Just last week, Epic agreed with Apple that we would play by the same rules as everyone else. pic.twitter.com/WOxsbnAFXE

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 22, 2021

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

Can I Play Fortnite on my iPhone?

When the game was removed by Apple, it was still installed by some players previously. So those players were able to play Fortnite on their iPhones. But, Fortnite stopped working eventually as it did not get any updates on iOS devices. Right now, you cannot download Fortnite from the App Store. Though, there may be some tricks or hacks for your iOS device to install Fortnite even when it’s banned.

We hope you might have got a fair idea of why Apple banned Fortnite from the App Store. As things stand, both these companies are far from working together. As a result, players are not going to see Fortnite on the App Store anytime soon.

If you manage to get Fortnite on your iPhone, do not forget to check out our Fortnite guides.