Apple has completely removed Fortnite from the U.S. and EU App Stores as of April 29, 2024, blocking both new downloads and updates through official iOS channels. The move extends beyond U.S. borders, as Apple also prevents the game from being distributed through the Epic Games Store in the EU despite recent regulations designed to open up the platform.
The removal marks another chapter in the years-long legal battle between Apple and Epic Games. The battle began in 2020 when Epic introduced direct payments in Fortnite‘s iOS version. This maneuver was designed to bypass Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases, which promptly led to Fortnite‘s original removal from the App Store.
This recent action is especially important because Apple has gone beyond simply removing Fortnite from its own App Store. The company is actively blocking the app’s notarization process—a security check required for all iOS apps, even those distributed through third-party stores in the EU under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
“Apple is blocking submission of Fortnite for distribution outside of the App Store,” Epic has claimed, noting that this move pretty much stops the game from being available through any channel on iOS devices, no matter where you are or how you try to get it.
Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it.
— Fortnite (@Fortnite) May 16, 2025
For iOS users, this means no new downloads of Fortnite are possible, and existing installations won’t get any updates with new content, features, or security patches. The game is still available on other platforms like PC, consoles, and Android (if you download it directly and skip the Google Play Store).
The block raises questions about Apple’s compliance with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which requires major tech platforms to allow alternative app stores and payment systems. Even with these rules, Apple’s notarization step gives the company a strong way to control which apps make it onto iOS devices.
Notarize this
The technical part at the heart of this spat—app notarization—shows how Apple still calls the shots on iOS, even where alternate app stores are supposed to be allowed. All apps, even ones distributed outside the App Store, still need Apple’s thumbs-up through this process.
The fight is probably going to keep playing out in the courts, with possible investigations from EU regulators questioning whether Apple’s tactics break the DMA. Meanwhile, millions of Fortnite fans on iOS are stuck waiting, with no real fix in sight.
