New Delhi: Apple is back in the news again, and this time it’s about a big fight with Epic Games, the makers of Fortnite, recently, Apple appealed against a court ruling that said the company didn’t follow a 2021 order about how it runs its App Store. This fight has been going on for years and is super important for app makers, users, and even how tech companies do business around the world.
How it all started?
In 2020, Epic Games tried to go around Apple’s payment system by adding their own direct payment option in Fortnite. Normally, Apple takes a 30% cut from any payment made through the App Store. Epic didn’t want to pay that, so Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store. Epic then sued Apple, saying the company was acting like a monopoly and controlling too much.
In 2021, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said Apple must let app developers tell users about other (cheaper) ways to pay, this meant developers could link users to outside payment websites. But she didn’t say Apple was a monopoly. Also, Epic had to pay damages to Apple for breaking its App Store rules.
On April 30, 2025, the same judge said Apple didn’t follow her earlier order properly. She said Apple was still trying to block developers from showing other payment options. Apple had added a new 27% fee on outside payments and showed scary warning screens to users when they tried other payment methods. The judge said Apple was doing this to avoid losing money and was not being honest with the court.
She also sent the case to federal authorities to look into possible criminal contempt. This means they might even file charges against Apple and its Vice President of Finance, Alex Roman. She accused Roman of lying in court and said Apple was trying to save a huge income by not following the court’s rules.
What Apple Says?
Apple says it didn’t do anything wrong and that it followed the judge’s order. They have now filed an appeal with a higher court in San Francisco to reverse the contempt ruling. Apple hasn’t shared all its legal arguments yet but made it clear that it wants to keep its current App Store rules. They might also ask to pause the judge’s latest order while the appeal is going on.
Epic Games is very happy about the ruling. Its CEO, Tim Sweeney, said this is a big win for developers and users. He said this means Apple will finally have to compete fairly with other payment services. He also said Fortnite will return to the App Store once Apple follows the new rules.
What could happen next?
Apple now has to stop blocking developers from talking to users about other ways to pay and also remove the extra 27% charge on outside purchases. The court also said Apple cannot scare users or stop them from choosing third-party payments.
The criminal case might move forward too. If Apple or its executive is found guilty, the company could be fined, and the people involved might even go to jail.
Both Apple and Epic Games can also take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court if they are not happy with the next decision. So, this drama is still not over.
