Apple Ordered To Ease App Store Rules In US — Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney Proposes Peace Deal, Saying ‘We’ll Return Fortnite’ And Drop All Litigation Only If… – Tencent Holdings (OTC:TCEHY)
Following a U.S. court ruling that found Apple Inc. AAPL violated the spirit of an injunction against anti-steering practices, Epic Games, backed by Tencent Holdings TCEHY, has offered to bring Fortnite back to the App Store if the tech giant fulfills this one condition.
What Happened: On Wednesday, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered Apple to cease collecting commissions on purchases made outside its App Store and to stop blocking developers from linking to alternative payment methods, reported AppleInsider.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney extended a striking offer to Apple via X after the court decision.
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“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,” he stated.
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Why It’s Important: To meet Epic’s conditions, Apple would need to stop earning revenue from any purchases made outside the App Store worldwide and lift its restrictions on external payment links, the report said.
Doing so could lead to a noticeable reduction in Apple’s lucrative commission income. Fortnite would be free to download, and Apple would receive no revenue from it beyond the standard $100 annual developer fee.
On Thursday, Apple could post stronger-than-expected results for its iPhone business and performance in China when it releases its second-quarter earnings. Wall Street expects the tech giant to report $94.42 billion in revenue for the quarter, up from $90.75 billion during the same period last year.
Price Action: Apple shares have fallen 12.86% year-to-date in 2025 but are still up 24.76% over the past 12 months. On Wednesday, the stock rose 0.61% during regular trading but slipped 1.65% after hours, closing at $209, according to Benzinga Pro.
In Benzinga Edge’s Stock Rankings, Apple earns a growth score of 44.64% and a momentum score of 74.99%. Click here to see how it compares to other top tech stocks.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
