Key facts
- Fortnite returned to iPhones and iPads in Australia on October 22, 2026, after a federal court found Apple had broken competition law.
- Epic Games posted on X on October 21, 2026, announcing Fortnite would return to the Australian App Store on October 22.
- The iOS comeback drove an estimated 3.4 million downloads in one week, an eight-year high, according to AppMagic data.
- The court's order covering Fortnite and other eligible Epic Games apps takes effect immediately.
Fortnite returned to iPhones and iPads in Australia on Oct. 22, 2026, after the Federal Court of Australia found Apple had broken competition law.
The court issued a 235-page decision finding that Apple restricted alternative app stores and payment methods to limit competition. Justice Jonathan Beach found Apple had a “substantial degree of power in the iOS app distribution services market and iOS in-app payment solutions market.” Justice Jonathan Beach ruled in August 2025 that Apple had misused its market power over app distribution and in-app payments.
A district court ruled in 2025 that Apple could not collect fees on purchases made outside the App Store, clearing the way for Fortnite to return to the US App Store after a nearly five-year absence. The legal battle began in August 2020 when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store over Epic’s direct payment option. The game became available on iOS for EU users in September 2024.
Epic rolled out Fortnite to most global iOS markets on May 19, 2026, but kept it out of Australia over the required payment terms with Apple, which it called illegal. No other country still lacked Fortnite on the App Store. Epic kept the game out of Australia for five months while it waited for the court decision.
On Oct. 21, 2026, Epic Games used X to say Fortnite would return to the Australian App Store on Oct. 22. The court’s order covering Fortnite and other eligible Epic Games apps came into effect immediately. Once Epic files a written application, Apple must act, and the apps still have to meet App Store developer rules.
The injunctions do not have an end date, but Apple can seek to change or drop them if circumstances shift materially. The judge turned down Epic Games’ request to apply the orders around the world.
More changes to Australia’s App Store will take effect in March 2027. The broader orders begin on March 1, 2027, for the Australian App Store and people with an Australian Apple Account.
Starting in March 2027, users can download apps straight from developers. Developers can offer other payment methods, and Apple cannot force them to use its in-app purchases or add extra fees. Apple also cannot stop developers from telling customers about third-party stores outside the App Store. Apple is barred from charging extra fees on purchases made through rival app stores.
Apple will keep security checks, including automated scans and notarization, for apps distributed outside the App Store. Apple is not required to host competing stores within its own App Store. From Feb. 1 to Feb. 15, 2027, Apple can ask to move the March start date to May 3, 2027, if the court agrees. That delay would not cover the order letting Epic’s apps back on the store.
Apple has to cover 85 percent of Epic’s costs through the end of the liability trial. The case remains unresolved even though the court reached the verdict. Apple plans to seek a stay and appeal the decision, saying it wants an outcome that respects its intellectual property and protects the App Store experience. Apple said it wants a resolution that “respects our intellectual property.”
Tim Sweeney called the win a huge victory for consumers and developers. He said the Australian antitrust remedies had just been issued, called them a huge victory, and said Epic is studying the verdict. Sweeney said, “The Australian Epic v Apple antitrust remedies were just issued, and are a huge victory for consumers and developers.” In August 2026, Tim Sweeney said the lawsuit’s Endgame was approaching soon.
Epic Games posted, “This is great news for developers worldwide and iOS users in Australia who will benefit from an open mobile app ecosystem.” The Epic Games Store is coming to Australian iOS after Fortnite, though no date was set. The return to iOS generated an estimated 3.4 million downloads in one week, reaching an eight-year high, according to AppMagic data.
Australian players can get Fortnite from the iOS App Store without installing the Epic Games Store. The court told Apple to take whatever steps are needed to let Fortnite and other Epic apps back onto the App Store. The court said the game must be available for discovery, downloading, use and updating by iOS device users.
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