Australian court orders Apple to admit rival app stores and reinstate Fortnite

An Australian federal court has ruled against Apple in its antitrust battle with Epic Games, ordering the tech giant to allow third-party app stores and direct web downloads on iOS by March 1, 2027. Under the ruling, Apple must immediately readmit Fortnite to the Australian App Store upon receiving an application, ending a regional holdout that persisted even after the game returned to other global markets earlier this year. The court also ordered Apple to cover 85 percent of Epic's trial legal fees. [1][2]

The sweeping injunction forces Apple to permit alternative payment options without steering users through mandatory Apple systems or adding excessive fees and artificial friction. Justice Jonathan Beach found Apple abused its market power to restrict competition, barring the company from imposing developer charges similar to its European Core Technology Fee. While Apple may still enforce security scanning and notarization, it cannot require developers to dual-offer its native payment mechanism or report outside transactions. [1][2]

Epic Games celebrated the decision as a milestone for an open mobile ecosystem, while Apple confirmed plans to seek a stay and appeal the judgment. Apple told Reuters that it aims to overturn the outcome to defend its intellectual property and preserve the security and safety that iOS customers expect. [1][2]