Fortnite is poised to make a triumphant return to the U.S. iOS App Store and iPhones next week, following a pivotal court ruling, according to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. On April 30, a U.S. Federal District Court in California ruled that Apple had deliberately violated a court order in the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit. This order mandated Apple to allow developers to offer alternative payment options outside their apps.

Following the ruling, Sweeney took to Twitter to propose a "peace proposal" to Apple, with whom Epic has been engaged in legal battles for years. "If Apple extends the court's friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we'll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic," Sweeney stated.

Sweeney's crusade against Apple and Google's app store policies has been costly, with IGN reporting in January that he had spent billions in the legal fight. Sweeney views this as a long-term investment in the future of Epic and Fortnite, confident that the company can sustain the battle for decades if necessary.

The core of Epic's dispute with Apple and Google centers around the 30% store fees imposed on in-app purchases. Epic seeks to operate Fortnite through its own Epic Games Store on mobile devices, circumventing these fees. This disagreement led to Fortnite's removal from iOS in 2020, but now, nearly five years later, it's set to return to U.S. iPhones.

In another tweet, Sweeney celebrated the court's decision, declaring, "NO FEES on web transactions. Game over for the Apple Tax. Apple’s 15-30% junk fees are now just as dead here in the United States of America as they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. Unlawful here, unlawful there."

As a result of the ruling, Apple will be referred to federal prosecutors for violating the court order. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers emphasized, "Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated. This is an injunction, not a negotiation. There are no do-overs once a party willfully disregards a court order." Gonzalez Rogers also referred Apple and its finance vice president, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation, citing misleading testimony from Roman about Apple's compliance efforts.

Apple responded with a statement expressing disagreement with the decision but affirmed its intention to comply with the court’s order while pursuing an appeal.

After numerous legal battles, Epic has made significant strides, with previous victories mainly in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. In August last year, the Epic Games Store debuted on iPhones in the European Union and on Android devices globally, featuring games like Fortnite, Rocket League Sideswipe, and Fall Guys for mobile. However, the rollout has faced challenges, with up to 50% of users deterred by "scare screens," according to Epic.

Despite the financial strain and significant layoffs, including 830 employees from the North Carolina studio in September 2023, Sweeney remains optimistic. In October last year, he declared Epic financially sound, citing record-breaking performance from Fortnite and the Epic Games Store in terms of concurrency and success.