Apple Claims It’s Not Blocking Epic from Offering Fortnite in the EU

After alleging that Apple was preventing Epic from offering Fortnite in both the US App Store and the Epic Games Store in the European Union, Apple now asserts it did not, according to a report from Bloomberg.

A spokesperson for Apple informed Bloomberg that the company "did not take any action to remove the live version of Fortnite from alternative distribution marketplaces," and instead wants Epic’s European branch to resubmit the latest game update for publishing, "without including the US storefront of the App Store so as not to impact Fortnite in other geographies."

While this statement appears to be a denial of any wrongdoing, it implies that Apple specifically does not want Epic to relaunch Fortnite on the US App Store. Apple submitted Fortnite for publishing on May 9 following a court victory that forced Apple to allow developers to support alternative payment methods for apps on the web. At the time, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney was hoping to use the change as justification to bring Fortnite back entirely, after only offering the game through streaming platforms on mobile.

Fortnite was originally removed from the App Store because Epic started directing players to circumvent Apple’s in-app payment system to buy in-game currency. The move was part of a larger plan from Epic to push back on Apple and Google’s tight control over their respective platforms and storefronts. That plan has partially worked, as multiple app developers are now offering alternative payment methods in their apps. However, it has not changed Apple’s stance towards the game developer.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-claims-its-not-blocking-epic-from-offering-fortnite-in-the-eu-175423021.html?src=rss