In a significant announcement today, Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, revealed that the popular battle royale game Fortnite will be making its much-anticipated return to the U.S. App Store next week. This news comes on the heels of a legal battle between Epic Games and tech giant Apple that has captivated the gaming and technology communities for years. Sweeney has also put forth what he refers to as a 'peace proposal' that could pave the way for Fortnite's re-entry into the iOS ecosystem on a global scale.

In his statement, Sweeney elaborated on the terms of this proposal: 'Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court's friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we'll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic.' This proposal suggests that Epic Games is willing to cease its ongoing legal disputes with Apple in exchange for more favorable conditions regarding app store policies.

Earlier today, a judge ruled that Apple had willfully violated a 2021 anti-steering injunction, a critical element in the legal proceedings between the two companies. This ruling came after months of scrutiny over Apples App Store practices. The judge instructed Apple to make immediate alterations to its App Store rules, which were deemed to stifle competition and limit developers' abilities to inform customers about alternative purchasing options.

Specifically, the ruling mandates that Apple must eliminate its anti-steering policies. This means that developers can no longer be prevented from informing users about alternative options to purchase subscriptions and digital content outside of the App Store. Additionally, Apple will no longer have control over how developers can place links or the language they use to direct customers to these external purchase options. Furthermore, Apple is prohibited from charging fees or collecting commissions on any transactions that occur outside of its platform, a significant shift in its business model.

This ruling marks a substantial setback for Apple, which had enjoyed a reprieve for nearly three years while appealing the injunction. Initially, Apple had allowed developers to include a single link directing customers outside of the App Store but maintained a commission structure that ranged from 12 to 27 percent for purchases made through those links.

In light of the recent developments, Epic Games has accused Apple of once again violating the anti-steering injunction following the introduction of new App Store rules. Epic sought a court ruling to hold Apple in contempt, arguing that Apple's adjustments did not adequately address its anticompetitive behavior. The judge ultimately sided with Epic Games, asserting that the adjustments were insufficient and demanding more comprehensive changes.

Moving forward, the ruling stipulates that Apple must act promptly to implement these changes in its U.S. App Store operations, with no leeway to postpone compliance. Epic Games is advocating for Apple to extend these new regulations globally, which, if enacted, would lead to a cessation of all ongoing legal disputes between the two companies, potentially allowing Fortnite to return to iOS devices worldwide.