Fortnite Blocked Again by Apple: CEO Tim Sweeney Tweets Tim Cook in Protest!

The ongoing dispute between Epic Games and Apple over the availability of Fortnite on iOS platforms has escalated, with Epic Games alleging that Apple is preventing them from launching the game on the U.S. App Store.

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, recently announced that Fortnite was expected to make a comeback on the U.S. iOS App Store and iPhones soon, following a major judicial decision.

On April 30, a decision by a Federal District Court in California concluded that Apple had intentionally defied a court mandate in the lawsuit between Epic Games and Apple. This mandate required Apple to allow developers to offer their users alternative purchasing methods outside of their apps.

Sweeney has been vocal about his efforts to reintroduce Fortnite to both iPhones and Android devices without succumbing to the typical 30% revenue fees imposed by mobile stores. Epic’s preference is to distribute Fortnite and similar games through its own platform, the Epic Games Store, thereby circumventing the financial cuts taken by Apple and Google. This conflict led to Fortnite being blocked on iOS back in 2020.

“Apple has obstructed our attempt to release Fortnite through both the U.S. App Store and the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Regrettably, this means Fortnite will be unavailable globally on iOS until Apple lifts the restriction,” Epic stated.

According to the statement, not only is Fortnite blocked in the U.S. App Store, but it is also offline globally on iOS. This has resulted in significant revenue losses for Epic, estimated in the billions, since Fortnite was removed from iPhones five years ago. Currently, Tim Sweeney is reaching out to Apple’s Tim Cook on social media, hoping to persuade him.

“Hi Tim. How about if you let our mutual customers access Fortnite? Just a thought.”

Hi Tim. How about if you let our mutual customers access Fortnite? Just a thought.

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 15, 2025

Following the court’s decision, Apple was referred to federal prosecutors for defying the U.S. court order. “Apple’s continued obstruction of competitive practices will not be tolerated,” stated U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. “This is an injunction, not an opportunity for negotiation. Ignoring a court order after it’s been clearly violated is unacceptable.”

The judge also referred Apple and its finance vice president, Alex Roman, for a criminal contempt probe due to their actions during the case. According to the judge, Roman’s testimony was filled with diversions and falsehoods.

In response, Apple expressed their disagreement with the ruling, stating, “we strongly disagree with the decision. We will abide by the court’s order while we appeal.” Recently, Apple has requested that the U.S. appeals court halt the enforcement of the ruling in the Epic Games lawsuit.