Technology

Fortnite Faces Global Shutdown as Apple Blocks App Store Resubmission!

2025-05-16

Author: Yan

In a dramatic twist, Epic Games has announced that Apple is preventing Fortnite from being available on both the U.S. and EU App Stores. This controversy comes after Epic's recent victory in a high-profile legal showdown with Apple, where they successfully pushed for the ability to introduce external payment options without incurring Apple's hefty commission fees.

On May 9, 2025, Epic Games attempted to resubmit Fortnite to the U.S. App Store, aiming to bring fresh content to its massive player base. However, Apple delayed the acceptance of this submission for an entire week. Stressed by the need to provide ongoing updates and new features for Fortnite, Epic Games made the tough decision to withdraw their request.

Following this setback, Epic quickly submitted an updated version to the U.S. App Store on May 14. But just when things seemed to be back on track, disaster struck. On Friday, Fortnite's official account took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce that Apple had blocked their latest submission. Even worse, this blockade extends beyond the U.S., halting Fortnite's availability in the European Union as well.

"Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it," stated the Fortnite post, leaving fans in despair.

As the saga unfolds, TechCrunch has reached out to both Epic Games and Apple for more insight into this contentious situation. Will Fortnite regain its place in the App Store, or is this the beginning of the end for iOS players? Stay tuned for updates!