Epic’s Australian court victory paves the way for Fortnite’s iOS comeback

Epic Games will bring Fortnite and the Epic Games Store back to iOS in Australia after a landmark Federal Court ruling found that Apple and Google abused their control over app distribution and in-app payments to stifle competition.

In a decision spanning more than 2,000 pages, Justice Jonathan Beach concluded that both tech giants misused their dominance in app marketplaces and their commission fees of up to 30%, which likely inflated costs for developers. He further found that Apple had “substantially lessened competition” by banning the distribution of native apps outside the App Store — a policy the company has long defended as a security measure.

“Apple’s centralised in-app system for the purpose of security does not entail that there is not a substantial anticompetitive purpose involved,” Beach wrote in his findings.

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney celebrated the ruling as “a win for developers and consumers in Australia,” confirming on X that Fortnite will return to iPhones via the Epic Games Store “at a date to be determined” as the company works through the court’s detailed findings.

The Epic Games Store and Fortnite will come to iOS in Australia! An Australian court just found that Apple and Google abuse their control over app distribution and in-app payments to limit competition. There are 2,000+ pages of findings that we’ll need to dig into to fully…

— Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom) August 12, 2025

Apple and Google both welcomed aspects of the ruling but pushed back on key conclusions. An Apple spokesperson told Financial Review that the company “faces fierce competition in every market” and is committed to making the App Store “the safest place for users to get apps and a great business opportunity for developers.” Google spokesperson Dan Jackson said the company would “review the full decision” but disagreed with the court’s characterization of its billing policies and historic partnerships.

The ruling marks another chapter in Epic’s long-running legal battle with both companies, which began in 2020 after Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store for bypassing its in-app payment system. Since then, regional court rulings and new competition laws have enabled Fortnite’s return in markets including Japan, Europe, and the U.S. — and now Australia.

In the U.S., Epic’s fight against Google has been more successful than its case against Apple, with a jury finding in late 2023 that Google had turned its Play Store into an illegal monopoly. That decision was upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in July 2025, potentially forcing sweeping changes to Google’s app store unless overturned on further appeal.