Fortnite is returning to the App Store globally, a year after its US comeback - Engadget

Fortnite is available again on the App Store worldwide except Australia. The game returned to the US after nearly five years of a ban tied to Epic’s legal conflict with Apple. Epic expects US federal courts to require Apple to disclose the operational costs behind App Store fees, arguing that governments will not permit “junk fees” once costs are shown. Epic also plans to benefit from the return while continuing restructuring, including layoffs and removal of several game modes, with Rocket Racing ending in October. CEO Tim Sweeney frames mobile optimization as early-stage work for billions of smartphones. Australia remains excluded because Epic says Apple continues enforcing terms that Australian courts found unlawful, and Epic is seeking orders to stop that conduct.

"Fortnite is back on the App Store globally... except for Australia. (Sorry, mates.) The battle royale game has been back in the US App Store since last year, following a nearly five-year ban that stemmed from Epic's seemingly never-ending legal battle with Apple. Epic suggested it was confident enough in the direction of political headwinds to make the game installable again on (most of) the world's iOS devices."

"Epic is banking on US federal courts to force Apple to disclose the operational costs behind its App Store fees. Epic believes that "once Apple is forced to show its costs, governments around the world will not allow Apple junk fees to stand." However, Fortnite could also use the boost. In March, Epic announced that it would lay off around a quarter of its workforce."

"Citing dwindling numbers for its flagship game, CEO Tim Sweeney alluded to its mobile player base. "We're only in the early stages of returning to mobile and optimizing Fortnite for the world's billions of smartphones; and in being the industry's vanguard we have taken a lot of bullets in a battle which is only in the early days of paying off for ourselves and all developers.""

"As for Australia, Epic says it's holding out there because Apple is still enforcing terms that the Fortnite publisher believes are illegal. Epic said the Australian courts "found many of Apple's developer terms are unlawful, and yet Apple continues to enforce those terms. Epic is now asking the Court to bring Apple's unlawful conduct to an end and to make orders that will benefit all app developers and iOS users.""

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