Fortnite returns to Australian App Store after court ruling

Fortnite will return to Apple's Australian App Store on October 23, 2026, Epic Games said after the Federal Court of Australia ordered Apple to open iOS to alternative app stores and payment systems.

Justice Jonathan Beach delivered the 235-page decision on October 22. The court found Apple held "a substantial degree of power in the iOS app distribution services market and the iOS in-app payment solutions market" and used its developer agreements and App Store guidelines to restrict competition.

The orders require Apple to let Australian iPhone users install apps from third-party marketplaces and directly from websites. Developers can use payment systems other than Apple's, include external payment links, and offer lower prices outside Apple's in-app purchase. Apple cannot charge fees for access to alternative distribution channels, cannot require developers to report transactions processed through alternative payment providers, and cannot require Apple's payment system to be offered alongside preferred alternatives. The orders take effect March 1, 2027, with a possible extension to May 3, 2027 if Apple files by February 15 and the court approves.

Epic confirmed the return on X: "Big news: Fortnite is coming back to the App Store in Australia tomorrow!" and called the ruling "great news for developers worldwide and iOS users in Australia who will benefit from an open mobile app ecosystem."

The court also ordered Apple to readmit Fortnite and other eligible Epic Games apps to the Australian App Store, subject to developer rules. That requirement is not tied to the March 2027 deadline; Apple must act once Epic submits a written application.

The ruling follows a 2025 decision that Apple violated Australian competition law by restricting alternative app distribution and payment methods. Justice Beach cited Apple's 2020 removal of Fortnite and termination of Epic's developer account as a "paradigm example" of conduct that contravened section 46 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. In May 2026, Fortnite returned to iOS everywhere except Australia because the case remained unresolved.

Apple said it will appeal. A spokesperson told Engadget: "Apple does not have a monopoly position in Australia or in any market around the world. We respectfully disagree with many findings in this case, including a market definition that has been rejected by other courts. We will request a stay and appeal the outcome to seek a resolution that respects our intellectual property and protects the safe, secure experience that consumers and developers expect from the App Store." Apple also noted the court affirmed it is "entitled to seek a commercial return on its highly valuable intellectual property-protected assets," and rejected Epic's "unconscionable conduct" claims and did not set rates.

The court ordered Apple to pay 85 percent of Epic's legal costs from the original trial. It rejected Epic's request to extend the injunctions worldwide and allowed Apple to keep security scanning and notarization for apps distributed outside the App Store. Apple is not required to distribute competing marketplaces through its own App Store.

Australian courts followed the EU's blueprint for forcing Apple to open its ecosystem, according to Engadget, and the ruling includes clauses intended to prevent "malicious compliance," such as Core Technology fees for using third-party app stores.