Is Fortnite likely to return soon to Apple devices with the change in payment policy?

Fortnite fans rejoiced as tech giant Apple recently updated its payment policy, allowing third-party developers to advertise cheaper payment methods outside the store. The move has prompted the curiosity of Fortnite Mobile fans who feel the new payment policy solves the anti-trust suit between Epic Games and Apple. If yes, it begs the question of whether Fortnite is coming back to Apple devices?

Apple and Fortnite developer Epic Games have been engaged in a legal battle for months over anti-trust issues. Epic had tried to circumvent the in-app purchase commission on the App Store by collecting payments outside it. Naturally, Apple decided to remove Fortnite Mobile from the store, leaving players unhappy.

Many Fortnite fans have been hopeful that the game might finally return to Apple devices after the tech giant updated its payment policy. However, they might be in for massive disappointment and will have to wait for the verdict of the Epic Games v. Apple courtroom trial instead.

Apple says it will let app developers collect payments outside its App Store, a major concession bowing to antitrust concerns - via @washingtonpost This is most likely HUGE for Fortnite!

— HYPEX (@HYPEX) August 27, 2021

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Is Fortnite coming back to Apple devices?

Fortnite fans may have seen hundreds of tweets on Twitter by now, claiming that their favorite game might just return to Apple devices. Unfortunately, the change in Apple's payment policy is not at all concerning its legal suit with Epic Games. Therefore, it won't affect the Epic Games v. Apple dynamic.

The payment policy update doesn't allow third-party developers to collect payments outside the App Store. In fact, it was a feature that was already prevalent in the store. Instead, the new feature now also allows these apps to advertise their cheaper payment methods via email to users.

WRONG. Apple has always allowed app developers to collect payments outside of the App Store. The developers were just not allowed to advertise payment methods outside the App Store

— SirMond (@SirMondx) August 27, 2021

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What does Apple's payment policy update mean for Fortnite?

Apple has argued that Epic Games breached the Terms of Service it had agreed to while listing Fortnite on the App Store. The TOS disallowed third-party developers to circumvent App Store purchases within the app itself, something Epic Games introduced, which caused the legal battle between the two companies.

What Epic wanted is for Apple to allow developers use third party payment processor within their apps and that’s what Epic was mainly fighting for in the beginning

— SirMond (@SirMondx) August 27, 2021

Therefore, the answer to the question, 'Is Fortnite coming back to Apple?', is 'No.' Epic Games has still breached the contract and trust by using a third-party payment processor within Fortnite. Regardless of the change in Apple's payment policy, Epic Games will still have to wait for the court to decide whether Fortnite will be able to return to Apple devices.

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