Epic Games Defeats Apple: Fortnite Returns to iOS, Developers Can Bypass App Store Fees

Following a major legal victory against Apple, Epic Games announced that its Epic Games Store will allow developers to open webshops, enabling players to make out-of-app purchases and circumvent Apple and Google's fees. This move stems from Apple's App Store's 30% commission, with a judge ruling that Apple couldn't prevent developers from directing users to buy digital goods outside the Apple ecosystem. Epic is bringing Fortnite back to the iOS App Store, incentivizing users to purchase digital goods directly through Epic for better prices. The Epic Games Store's new webshops feature will make it easier for other developers to follow suit. Starting in June, Epic will waive its cut from the first $1 million earned annually by each game, only taking a percentage after surpassing that milestone—a more developer-friendly model than Apple's.