Epic's new motion asks a US district judge to order Apple to approve Fortnite on the US App Store, calling Apple's continued refusal contempt of court

As reported by Mark Gurman, Epic's petition reads: … In the document, Epic also makes a point to mention Tim Cook's testimony at trial, in which he said:

9to5Mac 2025-05-17 Marcus Mendes

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@seanhodgdon.com Sean Hodgdon on bluesky
Except it's literally not? The judge said absolutely nothing about Apple needing to allow Fortnite back to the App Store [embedded post]
@lukasagross Lukas Gross on x
@megangrA Apple terminated the developer account that Epic used to submit Fortnite after they broke the rules. I don't see anything in the injunction(s) that requires Apple to reinstate that account, or let them distribute through their DMA-mandated EU account.
@megangra Megan Gray on x
@lukasagross and yet that is not the reason that Apple gave
@qnoid@mastodon.social Markos on mastodon
@krzyzanowskim I haven't been able to keep up with all the App Store changes. Why/how is Apple blocking Fortnite from the Epic Games Store in EU? Do apps have to go through AppStore review before making it to a 3rd party store? …
@stroughtonsmith … Steve Troughton-Smith on mastodon
@qnoid @krzyzanowskim @rileytestut there are a few options: we do not know what Epic means by ‘blocked’, so it could mean that Epic submitted the exact same build of the app to the App Store as external stores, and because it was rejected from one it was automatically rejected fr…
@rileytestut@mastodon.social @rileytestut@mastodon.social on mastodon
@stroughtonsmith @qnoid @krzyzanowskim From talking with Epic this is my understanding: Fortnite wasn't rejected by Apple, it just wasn't approved by today when they needed it to be. So they're disabling new downloads for now …
@rileytestut@mastodon.social @rileytestut@mastodon.social on mastodon
@mjtsai Apple's rules are iffy on that. We have separate SKUs for Delta and the beta version of Delta for this reason, but technically Guideline 4.3(a) (which applies to notarization) says “Don't create multiple Bundle IDs of the same app” My guess is Epic just didn't think abou…
@krzyzanowskim@mastodon.social Marcin Krzyzanowski on mastodon
company culture: pettiness, and I'm here for it (quoting latest @atpfm episode) — https://www.theverge.com/...
@fortnite @fortnite on x
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.
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
Apple: We asked that Epic Sweden resubmit the app update without including the US storefront of the App Store so as not to impact Fortnite in other geographies. We did not take any action to remove the live version of Fortnite from alternative distribution marketplaces in the EC
@timsweeneyepic Tim Sweeney on x
Apple's App Review team should be free to review all submitted apps promptly and accept or reject according to the plain language of their guidelines. App Review shouldn't be weaponized by senior management as a tool to delay or obstruct competition, due process, or free speech.
@timsweeneyepic Tim Sweeney on x
Meanwhile, Fortnite on Apple's App Store: [image]
@levelsio @levelsio on x
Apple flat out ignoring court orders now
@shiinabr Shiina on x
FORTNITE ON IOS IS DOWN WORLDWIDE 💀 “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.” [image]
@timsweeneyepic Tim Sweeney on x
@shawkab @Fortnite Stay tuned.
@shawkab @shawkab on x
@Fortnite so zero enforcement of the rule of law?
@duckybtw @duckybtw on x
Feels so bad to have the rug pulled out from under us after being this close to finally playing Fortnite Mobile on iOS 😞
@drbarnard David Barnard on x
Took me a minute to get this argument. In the latest ruling, the court didn't say anything specifically about letting Fortnite back into the App Store. But... the injunction seems to make clear that what Epic did in 2020 to get booted from the App Store would no longer get them…
@naval @naval on x
@TimSweeneyEpic Apple continues to mock the court.
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
Apple has blocked Epic's latest attempt to bring Fortnite back to the App Store. Epic says that the game is now “offline' on iPhones everywhere after Apple rejected its App Store resubmission https://www.theverge.com/...
r/technews r on reddit
Apple blocks Fortnite's App Store return as downloads fail in Europe | Epic says that the game is ‘offline’ on iPhones everywhere after Apple rejected its App Store resubmission.
r/gamingnews r on reddit
Fortnite for iOS is unavailable worldwide | Epic says that the game is ‘offline’ on iPhones everywhere after Apple rejected its App Store resubmission.
r/technology r on reddit
Fortnite for iOS is unavailable worldwide | Epic says that the game is ‘offline’ on iPhones everywhere after Apple rejected its App Store resubmission.
r/technology r on reddit
Apple Blocks Fortnite's Return to iOS App Store, Epic Claims
r/apple r on reddit
Apple has blocked the Fortnite submission from Epic Games
r/FortNiteBR r on reddit
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. …
r/gamingnews r on reddit
Tim Sweeney says Apple has ‘neither accepted nor rejected’ second Fortnite submission to the App Store
r/apple r on reddit
Tim Sweeney says Apple has ‘neither accepted nor rejected’ second Fortnite submission to the App Store
@lapcatsoftware@mastodon.social Jeff Johnson on mastodon
IMO this has the feel of something that's beyond YGR's jurisdiction and ultimately has to be decided by the Supreme Court, because it's a matter of international law. — I'm guessing that even if YGR sides with Epic, Apple could get that overriden on appeal, and Fortnite won't b…
@lapcatsoftware@mastodon.social Jeff Johnson on mastodon
So you can submit the same app build for both the App Store and an EU marketplace, but if you do then the review process is combined and uses the stricter App Store criteria instead of the more lenient EU criteria.
@lapcatsoftware@mastodon.social Jeff Johnson on mastodon
I'm confused. Apple's statement to Bloomberg is poorly worded and vague. MacRumors appears to reading a lot into it, without any additional, direct clarification from Apple. Epic's public statements are also poorly worded and vague. It would be nice if these fucking companies…
@epicnewsroom @epicnewsroom on x
Here's the letter we received from Apple on May 15th: https://fn.gg/...
@epicnewsroom @epicnewsroom on x
Yesterday afternoon, Apple broke its week-long silence on the status of our app review with a letter saying they will not act on the Fortnite app submission until the Ninth Circuit Court rules on the partial stay. We believe this violates the Court's Injunction and we have filed
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
New: Epic has asked the court to force Apple to approve Fortnite in the U.S. https://www.bloomberg.com/... [image]
@ostynhyss @ostynhyss on x
@markgurman “At Epic, we believe being allowed on the App Store is a fundamental human right”
@megangra Megan Gray on x
holy shit — Apple tells Epic that it will not put Fortnight into App Store until Ninth Circ rules on stay request. Last I saw, YGR had no such asterick on her court decision. [image]
@keleftheriou Kosta Eleftheriou on x
Why exactly would including the US storefront “impact Fortnite in other geographies”?
@dylanmcd8 Dylan on x
As usual, Epic is lying and being petty at the expense of their users and customers. Good on Apple for rejecting their US submission.
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
Apple and Epic Games sparred over whether the iPhone maker was obstructing access to the hit game Fortnite, the latest tussle in a long-running feud over Apple's control of game distribution revenue. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
r/apple r on reddit
Apple Says Fortnite for iOS Isn't Blocked Worldwide, Just the U.S.
r/technology r on reddit
Apple Says Fortnite for iOS Isn't Blocked Worldwide, Just the U.S.

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Epic's new motion asks a US district judge to order Apple to approve Fortnite on the US App Store, calling Apple's continued refusal contempt of court

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