Fortnite’s App Store return delayed as Apple keeps them waiting

Epic Games are in the process of trying to get Fortnite back on the iOS App Store in the US, but they’ve had to pull and resubmit their request after being left unanswered for over 120 hours.

In August 2020, Fortnite was removed from the iOS App Store in the US as Epic Games took a stand against Apple’s commission on in-game purchases. This led to a nearly five-year court battle, which ultimately ruled in favor of the developer.

So, on May 1, 2025, it was announced that Fortnite would finally be returning to App Store “next week,” and a request was sent to Apple for review on May 9. However, nearly a week later, the game was still nowhere to be seen, and the request had to be pulled and resubmitted.

Fortnite’s return to US App Store hits another roadblock

On May 14, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney revealed that after being stuck in Apple’s review process for nearly 120 hours, they had to cancel the process and start again so they could roll out the Fortnite v35.10 update, which is now due on May 16.

“We need to release a weekly Fortnite update with new content this Friday, and all platforms must update simultaneously,” Sweeney said in an X post. “So we have pulled the previous Fortnite version submitted to Apple App Review last Friday, and we have submitted a new version for review.”

For context, Apple’s official website says that “90% of submissions are reviewed in less than 24 hours,” so Epic were clearly expecting to be approved before this weekly update was released.

However, they heard nothing after around five days, which is unusually long for this process. While Sweeny didn’t go as far as calling out Apple, he did post this reply when a fan asked how they didn’t plan for this kind of delay:

“Our release planning relies on platforms supporting app developers like us releasing apps. There is no way a rapidly evolving multi-platform game like Fortnite can operate if platforms use their power or processes to obstruct.”

So, with Fortnite now back to the bottom of the pile in Apple’s App Review, fans in the US will likely have to wait a little longer for the game to return to the iOS Store.