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Fortnite is now unavailable on iOS globally, Epic Games said Friday, after Apple blocked a bid to reinstate the popular game on the App Store in the U.S.
"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," the official account of Fortnite wrote in a post on social media platform X. "Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it."
CNBC has reached out to Apple for comment.
Epic Games submitted Fortnite to Apple's U.S. App Store last week, a month after a judge ruled the iPhone maker was not allowed to charge a commission on purchases that consumers make outside of an iOS app.
Fortnite was pulled from the App Store in 2020 after Epic Games updated its software to link out to its own website to avoid Apple's commissions. Apple charges developers a 30% fee for in-app purchases.
Fortnite had been available on iPhones in Europe since last year through Epic Games' own digital store. Third-party app stores are allowed in the European Union under the Digital Markets Act.
However, on Friday, Epic Games said that it was also blocked from distributing Fortnite on its Epic Games Store for iOS in the EU.
The main issue for developers surrounding Apple's App Store rules is the "control" that the tech giant has, according to Gabriel Le Roux, CEO and co-founder of payments infrastructure startup Primer.
"Developers are being boxed into a rigid ecosystem that limits how they monetise, engage with users, and scale," Le Roux told CNBC Friday.
"For gaming companies in particular, the economics are brutal. They often operate on thin margins, with high customer acquisition costs and a constant need to re-engage users. Losing 15-30% on every in-app transaction can completely erode profitability," he added.
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