Epic’s recent decision to re-release Fortnite on the iOS app store has got tongues wagging as to whether it will also release it on the Mac App Store.
On the 20th of May, Fortnite officially returned to the iOS App Store in the United States after a nearly five-year absence due to a legal dispute between Epic Games and Apple.
This reinstatement follows a federal judge’s ruling that found Apple in violation of a prior court order mandating more competitive practices in app downloads and payment methods on its platform .
However, despite this development, Fortnite remains unavailable on macOS. If you search for it on the Mac App Store, you simply see a message saying it’s only available for iPhone and iPad.
What Happened To The Mac Version of Fortnite?
The macOS version of Fortnite was discontinued in 2020 after it’s understood that Apple terminated the Epic Games’ developer account that was used to put the game on the Mac App Store, effectively halting updates and support for the game on Mac platforms.
Since then, there has been no official announcement from Epic Games regarding the return of Fortnite to macOS .
However, assuming that a huge games developer like Epic Games probably has more than one developer account, the real truth behind its disappearance is not so clear.
Many think that the truth is Epic simply removed it from the Mac App Store as an act of retaliation against Apple.
I mean, if it really wanted to distribute it to Mac users, why not simply release it on Epic’s own Mac game store?
It seems that Mac users are simply caught in the middle of a legal fight between two big companies that can’t come to an agreement on how such a massive game will be distributed and compensated.
At the moment, there are a number of workarounds to play Fortnite on a Mac but all of them have disadvantages and none are as good as playing the game natively on macOS.
Fortnite on macOS: A More Complex Problem?
While the recent legal victories for Epic Games have seemingly paved the way for Fortnite’s return to iOS, the situation for macOS is more complex.
The reintroduction of Fortnite to the Mac would likely require renewed collaboration between Epic Games and Apple, including reinstatement of Epic’s developer account that was being used for Fortnite and agreement on app distribution and payment processing terms.
For now, Mac users wanting to play Fortnite still need to use alternative methods, the most effective we’ve found being Xbox Cloud.
While Fortnite’s return to the iOS App Store marks a significant milestone, its availability on macOS remains uncertain.
In the meantime, Mac users should stay tuned for official updates from Epic Games regarding any potential plans to bring Fortnite back to macOS.