Will Fortnite ever return to iOS: Everything we know so far

Fortnite has been unavailable on iOS devices for quite some time now following a dispute between Epic Games and Apple. For those fans who are unaware, back in August of 2020, Epic Games updated the iOS version of Fortnite to bypass Apple's transaction system, claiming that Apple's monopoly on how transactions are processed in the App Store was unfair to developers. Apple, in return, removed Fortnite from the App Store.

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Will Fortnite ever return to iOS?

Why Apple kick Fortnite off App store.The legal battle between Fortnite and Apple pic.twitter.com/kWPzN5FXYU

— Sideeq (@SideeqBn) January 1, 2021

It seemed like a resolution might have been close at hand back in January 2021 when a hotfix was pushed for the iOS Fortnite code that removed the direct payment method that originally caused all the issues. Epic has since stated that the release of that hotfix was a mistake, standing firm in its decision to fight Apple.

On 17 February 2021, Epic Games took their fight against Apple to the European Union, filing an antitrust complaint against the tech giant. The core of the dispute remains the same. How much control should tech giants like Apple have when it comes to popular apps? As of right now, Apple takes 30% of the money users spent to purchase apps or in-game items and does not allow developers to use any other transaction system than their own.

We all will have grand kids by the time Fortnite Mobile comes back on IOS 💤

— Fortnite’s Mobile Community (@FortnitesMobile) January 25, 2021

At this point in time, with the battle between the two companies still raging, there is no clear idea of when Fortnite may return to the App Store. If Epic decided to remove their transaction system and switch back to Apple's, the app could return. Epic, however, is out there fighting not just for themselves but for the smaller developers who see their profits being bitten into by Apple. With this latest case in the EU, there is no telling how long the case will still be in the courts.