Fortnite is returning to iOS in Australia after a court decision ruled that Apple must open iOS to third-party app stores after finding it violated competition law.
In a 235-page decision, the Federal Court of Australia found that Apple restricted alternative app stores and payment methods to limit competition.
Justice Jonathan Beach said the company had a “substantial degree of power in the iOS app distribution services market and iOS in-app payment solutions market.”
An Apple spokesperson told Reuters it would “request a stay and appeal the outcome to seek a resolution that respects our intellectual property and protects the safe, secure experience that consumers and developers expect from the App Store.”
While Fortnite will be available on iOS in Australia, the Epic Games Store will follow at a later date. Additional changes to Australia’s App Store will take effect in March 2027, including:
- Users can download apps directly from developers
- Developers may offer alternative payment methods, and Apple cannot require developers to use its in-app purchases or impose additional fees
- Apple can’t block developers from pointing customers to third-party stores outside the App Store to make purchases
- Apple can’t charge additional fees on purchases made through third-party app stores
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney described the win as a “huge victory for consumers and developers.”
Fortnite’s return to Australia follows a ruling earlier this year that reinstated the game on iOS globally.
Australia was excluded at that time because Epic had only partially won the court case, and Fortnite remained blocked due to what Epic described as “an illegal payment arrangement with Apple.”
Epic and Apple’s legal dispute began in 2020, when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store for allegedly bypassing platform fees.
The store became available on iOS for EU users in September 2024. It relaunched in the US after a district court ruled that Apple could not collect fees on app purchases made outside the App Store.