Fortnite returns to iOS in Australia after court finds Apple breached competition law

Fortnite has returned to iOS in Australia following a Federal Court of Australia ruling against Apple. The court found that Apple restricted alternative app stores and payment methods to limit competition, and that Apple must open iOS to third-party app stores. The Epic Games Store will follow on iOS in Australia at a later date, per GamesIndustry.biz.

The decision runs to 235 pages. Justice Jonathan Beach said Apple holds a substantial degree of power in both the iOS app distribution services market and the iOS in-app payment solutions market.

More App Store changes in Australia take effect in March 2027. Users will be able to download apps directly from developers. Developers may offer alternative payment methods, and Apple cannot require its in-app purchases or add fees. Apple also cannot block developers from pointing customers to third-party stores outside the App Store, or charge additional fees on purchases made through third-party app stores.

Apple has said it will request a stay and appeal. An Apple spokesperson told Reuters the aim is a resolution that respects its intellectual property and protects the safe, secure experience that consumers and developers expect from the App Store. The March 2027 changes may therefore depend on how a stay request and appeal play out. The source does not say how.

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney called the outcome a big win for consumers and developers. Fortnite's return follows an earlier ruling this year that reinstated the game on iOS globally. Australia was left out then because Epic had only partially won the case there, and Fortnite stayed blocked over what Epic described as an illegal payment arrangement with Apple.

The dispute began in 2020, when Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store for allegedly bypassing platform fees. The Epic Games Store became available on iOS for EU users in September 2024. Fortnite relaunched in the US after a district court ruled that Apple could not collect fees on app purchases made outside the App Store. Developers who sell on iOS in Australia should watch for the stay request and appeal before changing their payment setups.