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Epic Games said Tuesday that Fortnite has returned to Apple $AAPL +0.38%'s App Store in markets worldwide, as the videogame maker's long-running legal dispute with Apple heads toward a potential U.S. Supreme Court review.
"Apple knows the U.S. federal court will force it to be transparent about how it charges its App Store fees," Epic said in a statement. "Once Apple is forced to show its costs, governments around the world will not allow Apple junk fees to stand."
Epic said it is confident a favorable court outcome will prompt regulators globally to act against Apple's App Store commission structure, which can reach 30% on in-app purchases. The company said momentum is building in Japan, the E.U., and the U.K., though it accused Apple of evading those laws through warning screens, fees, and onerous requirements.
Fortnite has not returned to the Australian App Store, Epic said. An Australian court found many of Apple's developer terms unlawful, but Apple continues to enforce them. Epic said it cannot return under what it described as an illegal payment arrangement and will wait for a court order unless Apple agrees to adopt lawful payment terms in the interim.
