Tim Sweeney Didn't Expect a Five-Year Fortnite Ban

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney anticipated his company's battle with Apple would create 'fireworks,' but he never expected Fortnite to disappear from the iOS App Store for nearly five years. When Epic deliberately violated App Store rules in 2020 by inserting its own payment system into Fortnite, Sweeney thought the resulting legal clash would be brief. 'I had actually hoped that we would get an injunction against Apple blocking Fortnite and that we'd only be off for a few weeks,' Sweeney told The Verge. 'But the court process dragged out, and we were off for five years.'

Fortnite returned to iOS last month and has quickly reclaimed its position as the top free game in the App Store, accumulating roughly 10 million downloads since May 20th. The game now offers players a choice between Epic's payment system, which provides 20% back in Epic Rewards, and Apple's traditional in-app purchase system. About 60% of users have chosen Apple's system while 40% have opted for Epic's alternative, according to Sweeney. He expects that ratio to shift toward Epic's system as more players associate payment methods with their Epic accounts.

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