A fresh legal victory for Epic Games could soon see Fortnite and the Epic Games Store make their long-awaited return to iPhones across Australia. The move follows a partial win in the Federal Court, which found that Apple and Google misused their market dominance in the way mobile apps are distributed and monetised.

The ruling marks a significant shift in the three-year dispute between Epic and the two tech giants. While the court dismissed some elements of Epic’s case, the key decision allows the company to distribute games – including Fortnite – on iOS devices through its own storefront, bypassing Apple’s App Store.

Epic wasted no time in celebrating the outcome, describing it as a “win for developers and consumers” in a post on social media. The company has been pushing for a more open mobile ecosystem, arguing that Apple’s 30 percent cut on in-app purchases stifles competition and limits choice for players.

For now, there’s no confirmed launch date for Fortnite’s Australian iOS comeback. Epic has only confirmed that it will happen through the Epic Games Store app, which will also offer other games and in-app purchases without Apple’s payment system.

The development echoes Epic’s success in the European Union, where new regulations under the Digital Markets Act allowed the company to bring Fortnite back to iOS in 2024. Similar wins in the United States earlier this year also led to the game’s reinstatement there, giving the Australian decision a sense of inevitability.

For players, the ruling could mark the start of greater flexibility in how games are bought and played on mobile devices. For Apple and Google, however, it may signal a growing wave of legal and regulatory challenges that could reshape the global app economy.