Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has announced that Fortnite will not launch on iOS in Japan next year, blaming Apple's recent policy changes for obstructing competition. The decision stems from Japan's new Mobile Software Competition Act, which required Apple to allow third-party app stores but, according to Sweeney, led to new fees and surveillance measures instead.
Epic Games has decided against bringing Fortnite back to iOS devices in Japan in 2025, citing Apple's alleged non-compliance with recent regulatory changes. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), CEO Tim Sweeney described Apple's actions as "another travesty of obstruction and lawbreaking in gross disrespect to the government and people of Japan."
Japan's Mobile Software Competition Act (MSCA), effective from December 18, 2024, mandated that Apple open iOS to competing app stores and alternative payment systems. Apple announced compliance measures earlier this week, including options for developers to distribute apps outside its App Store and process payments independently. However, Sweeney criticized these as insufficient, pointing to new fees: a 21% charge on third-party in-app payments, 15% on web-based purchases, and a 5% fee on all revenue from apps in competing stores.
"They're imposing a new 5% junk fee on all revenue from apps distributed by competing stores, and intend to surveil all transactions within them using a mandatory reporting API," Sweeney wrote. He also highlighted "new anticompetitive warning screens meant to mislead customers into believing their privacy and financial security are at risk when dealing with Apple competitors."
Sweeney referenced prior US court rulings, noting that similar practices were deemed illegal by the US District Court and upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. He concluded that "real competition won't happen, and consumers won't benefit, when Apple abuses its position," and stated Epic would file complaints with the Japanese Fair Trade Commission.
This development escalates the ongoing five-year dispute between Epic and Apple, which began in 2020 when Epic introduced direct payments in Fortnite to bypass Apple's 30% commission. A May 2024 US District Court ruling found Apple in "wilful violation" of an injunction against anticompetitive conduct. Epic estimates the feud has cost it around $1 billion in lost revenue.
