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Fortnite for iPhone is ready to return to the App Store, but Apple does not appear to be in a rush to approve the revamped app.
After submitting a formal approval request on Friday, Epic Games emailed Apple on Tuesday for an update. As of Wednesday at 10 a.m. EST, it had yet to hear back, says CEO Tim Sweeney.
"No news from Apple yet. They’ve had it since last Friday," Sweeney tweeted.
Apple’s developer tools say that 90% of submissions to its App Store are reviewed within 24 hours. Review status and pass-fail decisions are typically visible on developer accounts. The fact that Epic Games followed up suggests Apple hasn’t shared a status update.
The holdup is likely related to Epic Games' recent changes to allow external payments on in-game purchases. Apple charges large developers 30% of all revenue made from purchases through apps on its hardware, and estimates suggest Apple made $10.1 billion from App Store payments in 2024. When Epic tried to bypass those commissions by launching its own payment system, it kicked off a five-year legal battle that saw Fortnite banished from the App Store (and Google Play).
Epic recently won a partial victory in that Apple must allow devs to link to third-party payment systems. Epic then confirmed it would reinstate Fortnite on the App Store. Apple has appealed the App Store ruling, and the court has until May 28 to respond.
Other apps have also updated to include external payment methods, including Amazon's Kindle app, Patreon, and Spotify.
Epic is using a European developer account based in Sweden for its Fortnite submission. The account was first set up to return Fortnite to the European App Store in 2024.