Epic Games have returned Fortnite to the iPhone and iPad App Store in every country except Australia, ending a nearly six-year absence from Apple’s mobile platform. The game went live globally on 19 May 2026, restoring direct iOS downloads for the first time since Apple pulled the title in August 2020 over a payment-rules dispute. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney framed the return as a calculated strike at Apple’s commission structure, writing on X that it marks the “beginning of the end of the Apple Tax worldwide.”

Fortnite is back on the Apple App Store as we head into the final battle of Epic v Apple in court. For years, Apple has fragmented iOS features and fees by territory, taking regulatory negotiating positions in secret, and intentionally delaying the pursuit of justice. https://t.co/9DMuf4SmKO

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) May 19, 2026

The worldwide rollout is the latest turn in a legal fight that has run since 2020, and Epic timed it to coincide with Apple’s own admission to the U.S. Supreme Court that regulators across the globe are watching how the case is decided.

Why Apple Removed Fortnite in 2020

Fortnite vanished from the App Store in August 2020 after Epic added a direct payment option to the iOS version of the game, deliberately breaking Apple’s rule that all in-app purchases must run through Apple’s own billing system. The change let players buy V-Bucks straight from Epic at a lower price than the App Store version allowed.

Apple removed the title within hours, citing the payment-rules violation. Epic had prepared for the response, and the company filed suit against Apple, opening the Epic v Apple legal battle that has shaped App Store policy ever since. The dispute centred on a single question that still drives the fight in 2026, whether Apple can require developers to use its payment system and the commission attached to it.

The removal cut Fortnite off from one of its largest player bases. iPhone and iPad owners who had not kept the app installed lost any route back to it, and the game stayed off Apple hardware worldwide while the case moved through the courts. That standoff held for years before a series of rulings began to chip away at Apple’s position.

The Court Rulings That Forced Fortnite Back

The path back to iPhones ran through a chain of U.S. court rulings rather than any settlement between the two companies. Fortnite returned to the U.S. App Store in May 2025, almost five years after it was removed, and that reinstatement only happened under direct pressure from the bench.

District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers threatened to require the Apple executive overseeing app approvals to appear in court, a move that effectively forced Apple to clear Fortnite’s return for American players. The decision restored the game for one market but left it blocked everywhere else, as Apple kept the title off the App Store across the rest of the world while it pursued appeals.

The final barrier fell in late April 2026, when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a stay that had allowed Apple to pause its compliance with rulings on App Store fees. Lifting that stay removed Apple’s legal cover for keeping Fortnite blocked outside the United States. Within weeks, Epic moved to push the game live in every market it could reach, and the worldwide rollout followed on 19 May 2026.

Epic’s ‘Final Battle’ Against the Apple Tax

Epic has framed the global return as the opening of what it calls the final battle over Apple’s commission, the fee structure the company refers to as the Apple Tax. The timing was chosen with that fight in mind. In filings before the U.S. Supreme Court, Apple acknowledged that “regulators around the world are watching this case to determine what commission rate Apple may charge on covered purchases in huge markets outside the United States.”

Epic argues that admission works in its favour. The company said it brought Fortnite back now because it is confident that once a U.S. federal court forces Apple to be transparent about how it calculates App Store fees, governments elsewhere will refuse to let what Epic calls junk fees stand. In its official statement, Epic said it will “continue to challenge Apple’s anticompetitive App Store practices of banning alternative app stores and competition in payments.”

The company pointed to regulatory momentum in Japan, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, where lawmakers have passed measures aimed at opening up mobile app distribution. Epic argues the results have fallen short of the intent, saying Apple has “evaded the laws with scare screens, fees and onerous requirements” each time new rules have taken effect. That pattern, in Epic’s telling, is why it expects the U.S. case to carry weight well beyond American borders.

Read More: Fortnite Mobile – How to Download and Play on iPhone and Android | Epic vs Apple – Full Timeline of the App Store Legal Battle

Which iPhones and iPads Can Download Fortnite

With the game restored to the App Store, players on supported Apple devices can download Fortnite directly through the standard “Get” button, with no sideloading or third-party app store required. The game runs on a broad range of recent hardware.

Both core modes are available from launch. Players can drop into the standard Battle Royale mode or the building-free Zero Build mode straight from the App Store version, with no separate download needed for either.

The return also restores Epic’s own payment system inside the app. Players can buy V-Bucks, Fortnite’s in-game currency, through Epic’s direct billing rather than Apple’s, which avoids the markup that Apple’s standard 30 per cent commission would otherwise add to each purchase. That billing choice sits at the centre of the wider dispute, since offering an alternative to Apple’s payment system is the exact practice that had Fortnite removed in 2020.

Why Australia Is Still Blocked

Australia is the one major market where Fortnite has not returned to the App Store. The exclusion is not a technical holdup but a continuation of the same fight playing out everywhere else. Epic won its court case against Apple in Australia, where the Court found that many of Apple’s developer terms are unlawful.

Despite that ruling, Apple has continued to enforce the terms the Court rejected. Epic says it cannot bring Fortnite back to the Australian App Store under what it describes as an illegal payment arrangement, and the company has chosen not to return on those terms. Instead, Epic is asking the Court to order Apple to stop enforcing the conduct already found unlawful.

Until that order arrives, Australian iPhone and iPad owners remain locked out while players in the rest of the world regain access. The Australian case now stands as the next test of whether Epic’s courtroom strategy can deliver the App Store changes the company has spent nearly six years pursuing, with Epic awaiting a ruling that would force Apple to bring its terms into line with the Court’s decision.

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Apple has just announced iPhone 16e, a new addition to the iPhone 16 line-up that offers powerful capabilities at a more affordable price.

iPhone 16e delivers fast, smooth performance and breakthrough battery life, thanks to the efficiency of the A18 chip and the new Apple C1, the first cellular modem designed by Apple.

iPhone 16e is also built for Apple Intelligence, the intuitive personal intelligence system that delivers helpful and relevant intelligence while taking an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI.

The 48MP Fusion camera takes gorgeous photos and videos, and with an integrated 2x Telephoto, it is like having two cameras in one, so users can zoom in with optical quality. When outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, Apple’s groundbreaking satellite features — including Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My via satellite — help iPhone 16e users stay connected and get assistance when it matters most.

iPhone 16e will be available in two elegant matte finishes — black and white — with colourful cases available to accessorise. Pre-orders begin Saturday, 22 February, 2025, with availability beginning Friday, 28 February, 2025.

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Ubisoft has just revealed that Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be launching on June 6, 2024, on the App Store for iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad Air and iPad Pro with M1 chip or later.

Released on consoles and PC on October 5, 2023, Assassin’s Creed Mirage is the latest instalment of Ubisoft’s best-selling franchise and will be the first console title of the series for players to enjoy natively on mobile devices.

Players will be able to experience the complete narrative-driven action adventure of Assassin’s Creed Mirage on the go, exploring 9th century Baghdad as Basim, a young thief who transforms into a Master Assassin. Developed by Ubisoft Sofia, the iPhone and iPad versions of the game feature the same experience as the console version. In addition, game controls have been adapted to the iPhone and iPad touch screens, providing an intuitive, comfortable and engaging gaming experience. Cross-progression and cross-save are also available through Ubisoft Connect, letting players transfer their progress across all available platforms.

Available on the App Store, Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be free to download and play for 90 minutes. The full version supports Universal Purchase and can be unlocked with a single in-app purchase of so players can enjoy the game on both iPhone and iPad.

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Backbone is teaming up with Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile for the game’s official launch, confirmed for March 21st, 2024 on iOS and Android devices.

Backbone players will have additional opportunities to level up weapons and XP with shared progression across Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone, and get access to exclusive in-game items.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile will redefine Call of Duty action on-the-go. Backbone+ subscribers can soon take advantage of exclusive member perks, including even more double XP and exclusive in-game items including a Calling Card, Emblem, and Weapon Charm to customise your loadout.

Backbone transforms your iPhone or Android device into the ultimate gaming console. Snap in your phone and play any game or service that supports controllers, including Apple Arcade, Google Play Store, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, or even stream from your Xbox, PlayStation or PC.

All Backbone One USB-C and Lightning 2nd Gen controllers include magnetic adapters, allowing for even better phone fit and support for many phone cases. When combined with the Backbone app – which puts all of gaming in one place – it’s our most accessible gaming experience ever.

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Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition has come to Netflix and mobile devices.

These mobile versions of the iconic classics Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas are all available to be purchased individually and feature additional improvements, including a new Classic Lighting mode that restores the look and feel of the sky in the original games.

Now released for Netflix members as part of their subscription, and also now available on iOS and Android devices., Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is also available for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via the Rockstar Games Launcher, Steam, and Epic Games store.

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Capcom has just announced that Resident Evil 4 is arriving on the latest Apple devices this December.

Prepare to experience the fear of this state-of-the-art survival horror title in the palm of your hand with iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The reimagining of the 2005 classic will also be available on iPads and Macs with the M1 chip or later. Separate Ways will launch alongside the action-packed main game. This story DLC follows Ada Wong on a secret mission that expands on the adventure and features thrilling new game mechanics.

Resident Evil 4 is available now for pre-order on the App Store. Players can try a portion of Leon S. Kennedy’s nightmarish journey with a free download to experience the bone-chilling visuals and scary-good performance on Apple devices before accessing the full game with a single purchase. Resident Evil 4 includes support for Universal Purchase and cross-progression between iPhone, iPad, and Mac, enabling players to enjoy the game at home or on-the-go and continue their save games across devices.

The intense survival horror gameplay of Resident Evil 4 can be enjoyed on Apple devices with a variety of compatible controllers. The game also includes keyboard and mouse support for Mac and customizable touch controls for convenient portable play on iPhone and iPad.

Resident Evil 4 is made possible on Apple devices thanks to Capcom’s RE ENGINE and Apple silicon, including the A17 Pro chip on iPhone 15 Pro models, and Macs with M-series chips, such as the new MacBook Pro with the M3 family of chips and supercharged iMac with M3. Resident Evil 4 supports powerful features like MetalFX Upscaling to deliver impressive performance and incredibly responsive gameplay across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Resident Evil Village, the eighth entry in the iconic franchise, and its Winters’ Expansion are also now available across iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all iPads with the M1 chip or later.

Resident Evil 4 will be available on the Apple App Store on December 20, 2023.

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Sonos has just announced it will add support for spatial audio on Apple Music in what will be a significant expansion of its next-gen sound experience.

Spatial audio delivers a multi-dimensional immersive sound experience that is fast becoming a primary recording format among leading artists, producers and engineers. Available on Sonos Era 300, Arc, and Beam (Gen 2), Apple Music with spatial audio will place listeners at the centre of their music with an ever growing catalogue of tracks and expertly curated playlists featuring renowned artists across all genres.

“It’s a thrilling time in music as spatial audio – and the artist creativity that comes with it – continues to grow,” said Giles Martin, Grammy Award-winning producer, songwriter, and composer and VP of Sound Experience at Sonos. “Sonos continues to put its listeners at the forefront of sound innovation, ensuring they have access through Apple Music to transformative experiences like spatial audio with Dolby Atmos, so they can feel more from the content they love.”

Sonos customers will have access to spatial audio on Apple Music starting March 29, 2023.

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Mobile free-to-play time-based running game Ultimate Sackboy is now available globally for iOS (iPhone & iPad) and Android devices, giving fans of LittleBigPlanet the chance to take on Craftworld’s new and crazy obstacle racing tournament.

Developed and published by Exient, Ultimate Sackboy is a fun proving ground made of miniature worlds for Sackboy and his Sackfolk to compete in.

Can you beat familiar enemies in head-to-head challenges, win the races and claim cool prizes all while lookin’ real stylish? Or will you run into a wall and get totally wiped out?!

Ultimate Sackboy players will enjoy regular game events and content updates, with frequent releases of new characters, costumes, trails and environments to explore, plus new and exciting gameplay features too.

The Marathon feature offers daily missions which unlock rewards for all players, who will also have the option of purchasing a Season Pass, giving them access to additional rewards and exclusive wardrobe items.

The Season 1 Pass includes the famously rare Astronaut costume, which historically is only available for early players of all previous LittleBigPlanet games. Each season will run for 28 days, with Season 2 commencing March 22nd, 2023.

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We are on the eve of the new Apple phone launches, at the time of writing, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro Series will be released tomorrow.

This year Apple opted to stagger their smartphones. Instead of a full menu, the iPhone 14 Plus is still cooking in the kitchen and wont be available for a a few weeks.

But why would you want one anyway?

The iPhone 14 Plus is just an enlarged iPhone 14. And what is the iPhone 14? A reskinned iPhone 13 – with Crash detection.

Sure it’s an excellent feature, that I don’t dispute and think it should be on all smartphones, and my guess is that’s exactly what will happen eventually.

But Apple have spoken to their fanbase and said this year we are going to give you what you love most. Aged technology.

Apple has always lagged behind. They used to be the front runners.

The likes of Samsung, OPPO and Xiaomi have trail blazed camera and phone inner specs for a few years now on Android OS.

Huawei were at one time the lead in what they were releasing, at cut throat pricing… until the U.S. Govt. stepped in.

It seems as though this year Apple are herding their users to go Pro.

And honestly, it is a case of Go Pro or go… Android?

The Pro Series has finally had an upgraded main camera – to 48MP. Now this is a huge thing for Apple to do, who has largely not upgraded their camera’s – only confused their fans by adding new modes, making them blind to the fact they hadn’t had a proper camera upgrade since 2015.

The Pro series no longer has a notch. But wait – it still kinda does.

The ‘Dynamic Island’ is unfortunately not a trancey party island – it is a cut out notch, essentially, that can also double as an indicator for various apps. I’m told there will be ‘Dynamic Island’ games coming to the Apple app store. I won’t need to remind myself to ignore those.

Apple have mentioned that they cannot fit their facial recognition tech inside a small punch out lens. Yet manufacturers of flagship Android phones have been able to do this for some time.

On all new iPhone 14 models comes iOS 16. The notoriously fenced Apple mobile operating system.

Sure this is Apple. They like to control the user experience. And control what their paying customers can and can’t do.

And once you’re within their eco-system it’s hard to break out of it. Like a bad addiction.

While Apple put on a show as they do, with great pomp and circumstance – there was no denying the fact that they were selling to us media a concept that was so last year.

Apple blew everyone out of the water when Steve Jobs infamously introduced the world to iPhone in 2007.

This left other phone manufacturers bewildered and scrambling to compete.

So did Apple, a multi-trillion dollar company, just get too comfy and turned a blind eye to what their competitors are doing?

We will never really know – as Apple are very secretive.

But what we do know is tomorrow Apple will launch three new models – favouring the Pro series and hoping the ‘Dynamic Island’ will win over new and existing folk.

If you’re looking to upgrade from last year’s iPhone 13 – I’d suggest holding off paying a premium for the world’s most expensive smartphone series until Apple have fully caught up – or maybe take the leap out of the Apple eco-system and embrace the future with a flagship (and cheaper) Android.

But if Apple juice is in your blood give the iPhone 14 a miss. You’re paying for 12 month old technology and get straight to the Pro models.

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Apple has introduced iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, featuring two sizes, 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, in a sophisticated design with impressive camera upgrades and groundbreaking new safety capabilities.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus take stunning photos and video with a powerful camera system featuring new Main and front TrueDepth cameras, the Ultra Wide camera for unique perspectives and Photonic Engine, an enhanced image pipeline.

Both models include the A15 Bionic chip with a 5-core GPU, which offers incredible performance and efficiency for demanding workloads and is designed with privacy and security built in. iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus introduce critical safety capabilities such as Crash Detection, a first in the industry. And with amazing battery life, industry-leading durability features, and super-fast 5G, this iPhone line-up is more advanced than ever before. iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be available in midnight, blue, starlight, purple and (PRODUCT)RED finishes.

“Our customers rely on their iPhone every day and iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus introduce groundbreaking new technologies and important safety capabilities. With the new, larger 6.7-inch display on iPhone 14 Plus, users can enjoy more content onscreen when browsing the web and even more text,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Both phones have a powerful new Main camera with a huge leap in low-light performance, advanced connectivity capabilities with 5G and eSIM and the incredible performance of A15 Bionic, which helps enable even better battery life. All of this, tightly integrated with iOS 16, makes iPhone more essential than ever.”

Available in the popular 6.1-inch size and a stunning new 6.7-inch size, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus feature a durable and sleek aerospace-grade aluminium design in five beautiful finishes. The larger display of iPhone 14 Plus is great for streaming movies and playing games, and iPhone 14 Plus boasts the best battery life ever in an iPhone.

Both models have an updated internal design for better thermal performance, gorgeous Super Retina XDR displays with OLED technology that supports 1200 nits of peak HDR brightness, a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and Dolby Vision.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus also feature the durable Ceramic Shield front cover — exclusive to iPhone and tougher than any other smartphone glass and are protected from common spills and accidents with water- and dust- resistance.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus introduce a new standard for photo and video capture with a new 12MP Main camera featuring a larger sensor and larger pixels, a new front TrueDepth camera, the Ultra Wide camera to capture more of a scene and Photonic Engine for a giant leap in low-light performance.

Through a deep integration of hardware and software, Photonic Engine improves mid- to low-light performance for photos across all cameras: up to 2x on the Ultra Wide camera, 2x on the TrueDepth camera and an impressive 2.5x on the new Main camera. Photonic Engine enables this dramatic increase in quality by applying the computational benefits of Deep Fusion earlier in the imaging process to deliver extraordinary detail, and preserve subtle textures, provide better colour and maintain more information in a photo.

The entire iPhone 14 line-up introduces groundbreaking safety capabilities that can provide emergency assistance when it matters most.

With a new dual-core accelerometer capable of detecting G-force measurements of up to 256Gs and a new high dynamic range gyroscope, Crash Detection on iPhone can now detect a severe car crash and automatically dial emergency services when a user is unconscious or unable to reach their iPhone. These capabilities build on existing components, like the barometer, which can now detect cabin pressure changes, the GPS for additional input for speed changes and the microphone which can recognise loud noises typified by severe car crashes.

Advanced Apple-designed motion algorithms trained with over a million hours of real-world driving and crash record data provide even better accuracy. When combined with Apple Watch, Crash Detection seamlessly leverages the unique strength of both devices to get users help efficiently. When a severe crash is detected, the emergency services call interface will appear on Apple Watch, as it is most likely to be in closer proximity to the user, while the call is placed through iPhone if it is in range for the best possible connection.

A15 Bionic brings incredible performance to iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

Still faster than all the competition at any price, the 5-core GPU enables even smoother graphics for video apps and high-performance gaming and powers incredible camera features like Photonic Engine and Cinematic mode all while delivering impressive battery life and protecting privacy and security with the Secure Enclave. The 6-core CPU handles demanding tasks smoothly and efficiently and the 16-core Neural Engine is capable of 15.8 trillion operations per second, enabling even faster machine learning computations for features in iOS 16 and third-party app experiences.

iPhone offers users incredibly fast downloads and uploads, better streaming and real-time connectivity with 5G to help them stay in touch, share and enjoy content. Support for 5G on iPhone now extends to over 250 carrier partners in over 70 markets around the world with expanded support for stand-alone networks. eSIM allows users to easily connect or quickly transfer their existing plans digitally, is a more secure alternative to a physical SIM card and allows for multiple mobile plans on a single device.

Later this year, for the first time ever Apple Fitness+ will be available for all iPhone users to subscribe to and enjoy in the 21 countries it is offered in, even if they don’t have an Apple Watch. iPhone users will have access to the entire service featuring over 3,000 studio-style workouts and meditations, all led by a diverse and inclusive team of trainers. Fitness+ users will see onscreen trainer guidance and interval timing, and estimated calories burned will be used to make progress on their Move ring. Fitness+ will be fully integrated with the Fitness app coming with iOS 16 and located in the middle tab, where users can stay motivated to close their Move ring through awards, activity sharing and more. Users only need an iPhone to sign up, and can then experience Fitness+ on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus feature iOS 16, offering a reimagined Lock Screen along with new communication, sharing and intelligence features that together change the way users experience iPhone.

The Lock Screen is more personal, beautiful and helpful than ever with a multilayered effect that artfully sets subjects of photos in front of the time and newly designed widgets that offer information at a glance. For Lock Screen inspiration, the wallpaper gallery offers a range of options, including Apple collections, a Weather wallpaper to see live weather conditions as they change throughout the day, an Astronomy wallpaper for views of the Earth, moon and solar system and many more. With Messages, users can now edit or recall recently sent messages and mark conversations as unread to revisit them later. iCloud Shared Photo Library makes it even easier to share a collection of photos with family. Live Text gets more powerful with the ability to recognise text in video and quickly convert currency, translate text and more, and Visual Look Up adds a new feature that allows users to tap and hold on the subject of an image to lift it from the background and place it in apps like Messages.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are designed to minimise their impact on the environment, including antenna lines that use upcycled plastic water bottles that have been chemically transformed into a stronger, higher-performance material. iPhone 14 models also use 100 per cent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets including those used in MagSafe and 100 per cent recycled tungsten in the Taptic Engine. Both models also include 100 per cent recycled tin in the solder of multiple printed circuit boards and 100 per cent recycled gold in the plating of multiple printed circuit boards and in the wire of all cameras. Fibre-based packaging does not use outer plastic wrap, bringing Apple closer to its goal of completely removing plastic from all packaging by 2025.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be available in midnight, blue, starlight, purple and (PRODUCT)RED in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage capacities.

Customers in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain,Thailand, the UAE, the UK, the US, and more than 30 other countries and regions will be able to pre-order iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus on Friday, 9th September 2022, with iPhone 14 availability beginning Friday, 16th September 2022, and iPhone 14 Plus beginning Friday, 7th October 2022.

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