Australian court orders Apple to allow rival iPhone app stores and restore Fortnite

Australia’s Federal Court has ordered Apple to allow third-party app marketplaces on iOS and restore Fortnite and other Epic Games apps to the Australian App Store. The orders are due to take effect at noon Australian Eastern time on March 1, 2027.

Justice Jonathan Beach found that Apple misused its market power to maintain control over app distribution and in-app payments. The ruling also criticized Apple’s past responses to regulatory or judicial restrictions, describing a strategy to block competition on iOS.

Apple said it disagrees with many of the court’s findings and disputes the market definition used in the case. The company said it will seek a stay and appeal, arguing that a resolution should respect its intellectual property and protect the App Store experience. Apple has until February 15 to appeal.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney celebrated the decision on X, saying the court had freed Fortnite in Australia and that it would return alongside the Epic Games Store. Apple removed Fortnite from its App Store in August 2020 after Epic introduced a way to buy the game’s V-bucks that bypassed Apple’s payment system.

The ruling may still be challenged, and the orders are not guaranteed to take effect as scheduled. The case follows other disputes over Apple’s app distribution and payment policies, including rules in the United States and the European Union.