Fortnite returned to the U.S. App Store on Tuesday, and within hours the game was sitting at the top of the App Store charts. At the time of this writing, Fortnite is the top free game in the iOS App Store.
Apple had dragged its feet on allowing Fortnite back into the U.S. App Store, but after U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers yesterday indicated that unless Apple returned the game to the App Store it would face more time in court and an “Apple official who is personally responsible for ensuring compliance shall personally appear” at a May 27 hearing. That meant a high-ranking Apple executive, such as App Store chief Phil Schiller, would need to attend the hearing. That threat was apparently what was needed to spur Apple to finally allow the game back into the App Store.
Fortnite is now available in the U.S. through the iOS App Store, and via the Epic Games Store app marketplace in the European Union. The game is not currently available in the App Store in any other regions The U.S. version of Fortnite allow players to purchase in-app currency through the Epic Games website. No in-app purchases are available.
Apple had told Epic Games that it would not approve Fortnite’s return to the U.S. App Store until their legal dispute had been resolved. Apple is still appealing the court’s ruling that forced it to change its App Store rules, and it has asked for a stay while the appeals process plays out.
