Fortnite Returns to U.S. Apple App Store After Five-Year Absence

The popular video game Fortnite has returned to Apple's App Store in the U.S., having been absent from the platform for almost half a decade.

The title was taken off in August 2020. For breaching Apple's guidelines by introducing its proprietary in-app payment mechanism.

This move would have avoided a 30% cut that the tech company takes on every in-app purchase.

The action sparked a legal dispute initiated by Fortnite’s developer, Epic Games, which argued that the fee was unjust and charged Apple with operating the App Store as a monopoly.

In a tweet on Twitter Fortnite announced its availability on the US App Store, along with the Epic Games Store and AltStore in the European Union.

"The search results will be updated shortly!" the post noted.

Apple did not promptly reply to requests for commentary. The company has consistently maintained that its guidelines safeguard user security.

Last week, Fortnite went offline across various global app stores following an issue where an update appeared to be obstructed by Apple.

Last January, The game was reinstated in the EU app store. Following a four-year hiatus, driven by legislation aimed at boosting competitiveness.

Google, which had previously banned Fortnite downloads back in 2020 due to disputes over payment policies, decided to lift this restriction last year.

Fortnite boasts an impressive user base of approximately 400 million registered players.

The game, which includes various gameplay styles such as shooting and construction, is primarily known for its online battle royale mode. In this intense competition, up to 100 players fight until only one remains victorious.