GoKawiilFortnite returns to Apple's Australian App Store after court orders iOS opened up
An Australian federal court has ruled against Apple, ordering it to allow third-party app stores, direct downloads, and alternative payment systems on iOS without imposing restrictive conditions or fees. Following the ruling, Epic Games announced Fortnite will return to the Australian App Store, ending its absence there since Apple had continued contested restrictions after the game relaunched elsewhere. Apple must comply by March 1, 2027, pay 85 percent of Epic's legal costs, and has said it disagrees with the findings and intends to challenge them.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The ruling mirrors the EU's approach to forcing Apple's ecosystem open, and its detailed anti-circumvention clauses appear designed to prevent the kind of compliance workarounds Apple has previously used elsewhere. If upheld, it could strengthen the case for similar app-store and payment reforms in other jurisdictions still litigating against Apple. Apple's stated intent to challenge the decision suggests the dispute, and uncertainty for developers in Australia, may not be fully resolved despite Fortnite's return.
- Australian court orders Apple to allow alternative app stores, direct app downloads, and outside payment systems on iOS.
- Fortnite returns to Australia's App Store after Epic said Apple had kept enforcing restrictions courts deemed unlawful.
- Apple must comply by March 1, 2027, pay 85% of Epic's legal costs, and plans to challenge the ruling.
Source: engadget.com — Steve Dent, 2026-10-22
Published there as: “Fortnite is coming back to Apple's Australian App Store following court ruling”
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