Apple Wins Partial Appeal in Epic Games Case

Apple has secured a limited win in its appeal against sanctions tied to its long-running antitrust dispute with Epic Games, with a U.S. appeals court allowing the company to seek a “reasonable” fee on certain external payments. However, the court largely upheld the injunction limiting Apple’s payment controls, delivering a mixed result, as Fortnite continues its phased return to mobile platforms.

On Thursday, 11 Dec. 2025, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that parts of an April 2025 contempt order against Apple were overbroad and must be modified. 

The three-judge panel said Apple should be permitted to argue for a commission on purchases made outside the App Store, provided the fee reflects the company’s actual costs related to user security and privacy. What qualifies as a reasonable fee will now be decided by Apple and the district court.

At the same time, the appeals court rejected Apple’s broader effort to overturn the injunction entirely. It upheld findings that Apple’s proposed 27% commission on external iOS payments, only slightly lower than its standard 30% App Store commission, violated an earlier court order. 

The court also ruled that Apple’s restrictions on how developers advertised alternative payment options were too sweeping, requiring both internal and external payment methods to be presented in similar ways.

Apple vs. Epic Games Appeal and App Store Rules Explained

The decision follows an April ruling by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who found Apple in willful violation of a 2021 injunction and barred the company from collecting commissions on off-app purchases. 

That injunction, originally issued in 2021, only took effect in January 2024 after years of legal wrangling. Judge Gonzalez Rogers also referred Apple to federal prosecutors for possible criminal contempt.

Epic Games, which filed the lawsuit in 2020 after Fortnite was removed from the App Store and Google Play, welcomed the appeals court ruling. CEO Tim Sweeney said, “After years of Apple obstruction, we’re finally going to see large-scale change happening,” adding that the order prevents Apple from imposing “giant junk fees” on developers.

Meanwhile, Fortnite has returned to the Google Play Store in the United States, with Epic confirming that other regions will follow. The game was reintroduced to iOS in the U.S. and Europe in May 2025 and subsequently expanded to Australia in August.

Together, the ruling and Fortnite’s return underscore growing legal pressure on dominant app platforms to loosen payment controls, with lasting implications for developers and consumers worldwide.