Summary

  • Epic Games says the app store ban on Fortnite cost the company $1 billion in lost revenue.
  • Millions more were spent on legal fees in lawsuits against Apple and Google.
  • CEO Tim Sweeney believes the losses were worth it now that it's back on the app stores in the EU.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney claims that the company lost $1 billion during its efforts to bring Fortnite back to mobile app stores. That's not including the legal fees incurred in lawsuits against Apple and Google, which added "hundreds of millions" to the costs.

This comes from Game File's interview with Sweeney, conducted as Fortnite finally makes a return to Apple's app store in the European Union. This is thanks to the Epic Games Store being made available on the platforms, allowing players to access Fortnite on their devices once more.

Epic Spent Millions On Apple And Google Lawsuits, Lost $1 Billion In Fortnite Revenue

Despite the huge legal fees, Sweeney argues that much of Epic's losses stem from the fact that Fortnite was unavailable on key platforms for so long. This meant the company lost out on making money from players that don't have a PC or home console, but would be interested in playing the battle royale if it were more accessible.

Yet Sweeney also argues that it was worth the cost, even as the dispute dragged on for so many years.

“If we spent a billion dollars so far, that's a small price to pay for the future freedom of our company and of all the others who want to participate in the market,” Sweeney told Game File.

Right now, Fortnite's return to Apple mobile devices is exclusive to the EU. This is because new regulations force companies operating in the region to make third-party app stores available on their devices. Due to this Apple, has to let anyone in the EU access the Epic Games Store on their Apple devices, and thus, be able to play Fortnite.

However, this is not a requirement in other regions, so users elsewhere are out of luck for now. It remains to be seen if this regulation is rolled out widely across the mobile market.

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Fortnite

Survival Battle Royale Released September 26, 2017 ESRB T for Teen - Violence Developer(s) Epic Games Publisher(s) Epic Games Engine Unreal Engine 5 Multiplayer Online Multiplayer Cross-Platform Play Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S Cross Save yes
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL

Starting life as a tower defense game, Fortnite has become one of the biggest video games out there. Its battle royale mode dominates popular culture, featuring concerts by megastar musicians and crossovers with just about every brand imaginable, from Marvel to the NFL. 

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