Epic Games’ Fortnite is once again available on iPhones in the United States, marking the end of nearly five years of absence following a high-profile legal clash with Apple over control, commissions, and app store policies.

The game’s return comes after a key legal victory for Epic earlier this year, in a case that has reshaped Apple’s grip on app developers and set a new tone for how digital marketplaces operate.

In August 2020, Apple removed Fortnite from its App Store after Epic implemented a direct payment system in the app, deliberately circumventing Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases. The move sparked a legal war, with Epic accusing Apple of monopolistic behavior and anti-competitive practices.

On April 30, 2025, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple had violated a 2021 court order that barred the company from preventing developers from informing users about alternative payment methods. The judge declared that Apple had “not made a good faith effort to comply” with the injunction and referred the tech giant to the U.S. Justice Department for potential contempt proceedings.

Judge Rogers also ruled that Apple cannot charge developers for purchases made outside of its App Store, a major blow to the company’s longstanding revenue model. This ruling directly opened the path for Epic to return Fortnite to the App Store under its own payment terms.

Following the court’s decision, Epic submitted Fortnite for review on May 9, 2025. But after days of silence from Apple, Epic filed an emergency motion asking the court to force Apple to process the app. The motion stated that Apple “has not responded to Epic’s submission and has offered no timeline for review.”

On May 16, Apple informed the court that the matter had been resolved. And by May 20, Fortnite was officially restored to the U.S. App Store. Epic confirmed the news, stating on its official website: “Fortnite is now available to download from the App Store on iOS in the U.S.”

The version available for download is a lightweight app that expands to the full game after launch. It also offers a 20% discount to players who make purchases through Epic’s own payment system, bypassing Apple’s in-app purchase mechanism entirely.

A Legal Turning Point

The ruling and Fortnite’s return carry enormous implications for the future of mobile app economics. Developers have long criticized Apple’s commission model and its control over iOS app distribution. Epic’s case has now set a legal precedent allowing apps to guide users toward alternative payment options—a move that could save developers millions in fees.

Judge Gonzalez Rogers’ 2025 order builds on a 2021 decision in which she had already found Apple’s anti-steering rules to be anti-competitive. At the time, she issued a permanent injunction prohibiting Apple from “prohibiting developers from including in their apps and metadata buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms.”

The latest ruling strengthens that injunction and delivers a rebuke to Apple’s enforcement.

“Apple’s insistence on interpreting the injunction narrowly to preserve its commissions undermines the court’s intent,” the judge wrote.

Market Impact and Developer Reactions

The case has sparked discussion in the tech industry about the power of digital marketplaces and the need for more open platforms. While Apple maintains that its policies are necessary to ensure user safety and a consistent user experience, many believe that its rules stifle competition and innovation.

In a statement following Fortnite’s return, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said, “This is a victory for developers and consumers alike. The ability to offer direct payment options will make the app ecosystem fairer and more competitive.”

Analysts suggest the ruling may have ripple effects across the industry, allowing other developers—such as Spotify, Netflix, and small studios—to adopt similar models.

While Fortnite’s return marks a shift from Apple’s earlier defiance of the court’s judgment, the legal and regulatory battles over the smartphone’s dominance are far from over. The U.S. Justice Department and several states have ongoing antitrust investigations into Apple’s practices, and regulators in Europe have taken steps to force platform openness as well.

However, for Epic and Fortnite fans, the moment marks a hard-fought return. With the app now live in the U.S. App Store again, it represents more than just a game—it’s a symbol of changing rules in the mobile economy.

As Epic reinstates the game, it has also rolled out a new Star Wars-themed season featuring characters like General Grievous, Anakin Skywalker, and even Jar-Jar Binks.

Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, has sharply criticized the U.S. policy of restricting advanced chip exports to China, arguing that the move backfired by accelerating Chinese technological advancement.

Speaking at the Computex tech conference in Taipei, Huang described the Biden-era export controls as counterproductive and welcomed President Donald Trump’s decision to scrap some of those curbs.

“Incredible things have happened in the last year as a result of the export controls,” Huang told reporters. “The local companies are very, very talented and very determined, and the export control gave them the spirit, the energy, and the government support to accelerate their development.”

Huang pointed to China’s rapid progress in artificial intelligence and chip manufacturing as unintended consequences of Washington’s clampdown on AI chip exports.

“I think, all in all, the export control was a failure,” he said.

The U.S. had sought to curb Beijing’s access to high-end semiconductor technology amid rising geopolitical tensions, citing concerns over the potential military applications of artificial intelligence. But the move cost American firms, including Nvidia, a significant share of their most lucrative overseas market.

Nvidia, once dominant in China with an estimated 95% market share for high-end AI chips, has seen that figure cut nearly in half. We went from basically having 95% share to having 50% share, Huang said.

He added that while the original intent of the policy was to hinder China’s AI capabilities, it instead fueled a surge in domestic innovation. It’s labeled the unintended consequence of a policy that didn’t work.

Now, Trump appears poised to reverse that course. His administration is reportedly planning to replace the current tiered export control regime with a global licensing system that would allow technology trade under government-to-government agreements. The approach is seen as a more strategic and flexible way to maintain U.S. influence in global tech markets while avoiding unintended backlash.

Huang believes President Trump realizes it’s exactly the wrong goal to try to isolate U.S. technology from the world because it undermines our leadership. This is because if U.S. technology is not available to the rest of the world, they will build it themselves.

Indeed, that has already happened. Chinese firms, with strong state baking, have responded to the curbs by making rapid strides in tech self-sufficiency. Huawei’s breakthroughs in chipmaking and the rollout of its own HarmonyOS mobile operating system—designed to replace Google’s Android—have been cited as clear examples of how restrictions pushed China to innovate faster.

The Biden administration’s AI export controls, imposed in 2022 and 2023, particularly targeted Nvidia’s top-performing chips, such as the A100, H100, and more recently, the H800 and A800 variants tailored for Chinese clients. In response, Nvidia began designing downgraded versions to remain compliant. The company is now preparing to release a variant of its powerful Blackwell GPU architecture with reduced memory capacity to meet export standards.

But even with these workarounds, the Chinese market has grown more competitive. Huang acknowledged that domestic chipmakers such as Huawei and startup firms, with Beijing’s support, have filled the vacuum.

At Computex, Huang stressed the importance of maintaining access to global markets. He emphasized that the need for U.S. technology to be widely used.

China, for its part, has consistently condemned the U.S. curbs as discriminatory and politically motivated. The country’s commerce ministry reiterated this stance earlier this year, warning that it would “take resolute measures” to safeguard its interests if Washington continued to impose technology barriers.

As global AI competition intensifies, U.S. policymakers are facing an increasing challenge of how to constrain strategic rivals without undermining American firms or driving them into isolation.

Trump’s strategy signals a potential rebalancing, away from blanket restrictions and toward a model that preserves commercial advantage while allowing room for geopolitical negotiation. However, it is not clear whether this course correction will recover lost ground or simply mark a shift in the broader technological power balancing.