When will Fortnite return to the Apple App Store for iOS devices?

With Epic Games and Apple still butting heads, when can mobile users expect to see Fortnite back in the App Store? The latest United States district court ruling has given us a rough idea of when we can expect to see it back.

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When Epic made the move to implement a direct payment method for V-Bucks on mobile, Apple responded swiftly. The two major corporations have been locking horns in legal battles ever since. Fortnite was removed from the App Store and obviously, the player base has been dropping significantly with each passing day.

Despite the developers trying to get the battle royale reinstated ahead of Season 4, Epic hasn’t had any luck as of yet. However, the latest courtroom update has given us new insight on when we can expect to see the game make its grand return to iOS devices.

Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers of the Northern District of California pushed out new rulings on October 9. Fortnite itself won’t be allowed back on the App Store amidst the legal drama. With the trial not commencing until May 3, 2021, the battle royale won’t be back until next year at the earliest.

The original issue centered around Epic’s direct method of buying V-Bucks on mobile devices. This bypassed mandatory rules in which a good chunk of every purchase would go into Apple’s pockets. Unless Epic decides to drop this and revert back, mobile gamers will have to wait for the trial in May.

If you’re anxiously waiting to drop into the battle royale on your iPhone, you may not want to hold your breath.

This leaves us a seven-month window from the time of writing. That’s the absolute minimum wait if an agreement is reached near-instantly in the trial.

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It may seem like doom and gloom for those with Apple devices. However, the latest rulings did come with some good news. Epic’s Unreal Engine will not be impacted, meaning that other games can proceed on the App Store without hassle.

“Epic Games is grateful that Apple will continue to be barred from retaliating against Unreal Engine,” the company said. While Epic is clearly relieved, the developers are still adamant about putting an end to “Apple’s anti-competitive behavior.”

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With Fortnite still months out from a potential return to mobile devices, now could be the best time to swap over. Console and PC gamers haven’t missed a beat and next-gen versions of the game will even come boasting graphical upgrades.