Epic Games said on Wednesday that Fortnite will remain unavailable on iOS devices in Japan, accusing Apple of obstructing competition despite the country’s new Mobile Software Competition Act, which requires Apple to allow third-party app stores on iPhones.
Japan’s law was intended to open Apple’s tightly controlled ecosystem to greater competition, raising expectations that Fortnite could return to iOS in the country. Epic Games Chief Executive Tim Sweeney said Apple’s response to the regulation effectively preserves its dominance through fees and technical restrictions. On social media platform X, Sweeney described Apple’s approach as “another travesty of obstruction and lawbreaking in gross disrespect to the government and people of Japan.”
Epic and Apple have been locked in a global legal and regulatory battle since 2020, when Apple removed Fortnite from its App Store after Epic challenged Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases. While Fortnite has since returned to iOS in the European Union through third-party app stores and reappeared in the United States following court rulings, Japan has emerged as a new flashpoint.
Sweeney said Apple is imposing what he called a “competition-crushing 21% junk fee on third-party in-app payments, and 15% for purchases made on the web,” while also taking a cut on apps sold through competing stores and requiring developers to use reporting tools that share transaction data with Apple. He also criticised security warnings shown to users accessing alternative app stores, saying they are designed to deter consumers.
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Apple has defended its policies, saying the measures are necessary to protect user privacy and child safety and to maintain the iOS platform. The company has said its fees reflect the costs of payment processing technology and platform services, as scrutiny of its app store practices continues in Japan and other major markets.