Fortnite Is Still Not in the App Store, Epic CEO Highlights The Platform's Obstruction

If things had gone well, US players could have been enjoying the long-time no-see game Fortnite on their iOS devices by now. Obviously, it didn't happen, and something had gone wrong here.

Epic's CEO, Tim Sweeney, shared what happened behind the curtain to offer the long-awaited fans an update on the progress. The developer submitted a version for Apple's review last Friday, which got stuck and did not receive any response, whether it was accepted or rejected. 

Time matters more for a live service game that provides new content per week. So the team has to pull the last version submitted and upload a new version to go through the same procedure. 

This behavior makes a fan wonder why the team didn't plan for this in advance. Tim gave an explanation, saying that "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."

Yet, while obstructing the game's return to the platform, Apple is found to be selling ads for the word "Fortnite" to gain profits. When players constantly visit the App Store to check if the game is back, a totally unrelated game that has nothing to do with either Fortnite or Epic Games appears.

There is also a plagiarized game, named Fort Battle Royale Epic Shoot (with the game's name, the developer's name in the title is a huge prompt for SEO results), which forces players to watch a few ads before even being able to click to start. It was soon to be taken off the market by Apple, but Tim is eager to ask, "Can we get the real Fortnite up, pls?"

Last week, Apple asked a federal appeals court to temporarily pause key provisions of a U.S. judge's order requiring the company to open its App Store to more competition. It stated that the new ruling would block the company from "exercising control over core aspects of its business operations."

At this moment, the company's attempt to block Fortnite's return is quite apparent, and even by ignoring their own promise to the developers: "App Review will examine your app as soon as we can" and "it can take up to 24-hours for your app to appear on all selected storefronts," which is viewable in their App Review Guidelines. 

As the issue remains unresolved, Tim continued to open up about what is happening, saying that App Review shouldn't be "weaponized by senior management as a tool to delay or obstruct competition, due process, or free speech."

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