Epic Games announced on Tuesday that its flagship title, Fortnite, has been restored to App Stores around the world, a development the videogame maker tied to its ongoing legal dispute with Apple.
In a statement, Epic said it anticipates a favorable court outcome that would require Apple to disclose its cost structure for App Store operations. "Once Apple is forced to show its costs, governments around the world will not allow Apple junk fees to stand," Epic said. The company also asserted that "Apple knows the U.S. federal court will force it to be transparent about how it charges its App Store fees."
Epic, a U.S.-based developer with backing from China’s Tencent, has been engaged in litigation with Apple since 2020. The dispute centers on Epic’s allegation that Apple’s practice of levying commissions of up to 30% on in-app payments violates U.S. antitrust laws.
Fortnite, which uses a battle royale format and ranks among the world’s most played videogames, has a large daily player base that frequently purchases in-game currency to acquire cosmetic items for player avatars. The title was allowed back onto the U.S. App Store last year after a near five-year ban.
Despite the worldwide relisting, Epic said Fortnite has not yet been returned to the Australian App Store. The company attributed that to Apple continuing to enforce a number of developer terms that the court had previously found unlawful.
The company has faced internal challenges as well. Earlier this year Epic announced plans to cut more than 1,000 positions, citing a decline in Fortnite engagement tied to macroeconomic uncertainty and a tougher spending environment among players.
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