Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney hinted that “Fortnite” will return to iOS and iPadOS in 2023.
Epic has been taken off the App Store by Apple since August 2020 after violating the rules of Apple’s payment system, which led to Epic filing a lawsuit against Apple. In a tweet marking the New Year, Tim Sweeney seemed to think progress would be made in 2023.
In a January 1 tweet, Sweeney posted a brief message, “Next year on iOS!” In his reply, Sweeney shared an image from the Fortnite game.
Sweeney did not give details, but speculation is that he was hinting that Fortnite will return to the App Store this year, however that would require a major settlement between Apple and Epic. Given that the lawsuit’s appeal process is still ongoing, that could take some time to complete.
In a December interview, Sweeney said he would fight Apple to the Supreme Court if that’s what it takes to get a victory, saying, “We’ll keep fighting as long as we can get what we’re asking for. If Apple would settle for that, we would settle today.”
It’s also possible that Epic will make an iOS app store of its own. That’s because in Europe, the Digital Marketplace Act would force Apple to allow third-party app marketplaces to exist on the iPhone and iPad. If Apple has no objections, the law could lead to Apple enabling the feature in the fall of 2023, though Apple’s resistance could push the change to 2024.
However, reports surfaced on December 13 that Apple is already making changes to its software and services to comply with the rules, including enabling third-party app stores without going through the App Store itself.
In December, Sweeney continued to bash Apple and its policies under the guise of being anti-competitive, comparing Apple’s management of the App Store to a railroad monopolist blocking refineries from using the infrastructure.
