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Epic Games did not win a ruling that Apple is an illegal monopoly. In September 2021, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected Epic’s federal antitrust claims but found Apple subject to a California anti-steering violation and issued an injunction. That order prevents Apple from blocking App Store developers from using buttons, external links or calls to action that direct customers to outside purchasing options. Apple’s later 27% commission and link restrictions led to a civil-contempt finding in April 2025. The Ninth Circuit largely upheld that finding in December 2025, while sending parts of the sanctions back for further work. A separate Supreme Court review was pending as of September 28, 2026.
What the Epic Games v. Apple ruling decided in 2021
Epic lost its broad monopoly theory
Epic argued that Apple’s control of iOS app distribution and payments violated federal antitrust law. The September 2021 judgment did not accept that theory, so it did not declare Apple’s App Store an unlawful monopoly or require Apple to open iOS to competing app stores.
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Fortnite eGift Card | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Apple was enjoined on anti-steering conduct
The court entered a permanent injunction under California law. Apple may not prevent App Store developers from telling customers about other purchasing methods through a button, external link or similar call to action. The order addresses how developers communicate with users; it is not a general command to permit sideloading or alternative app marketplaces.
The order was broader than Epic’s own account
The injunction governs Apple’s App Store rules affecting covered developers, rather than granting a private exception only to Epic. It arose from a U.S. federal case and Apple’s App Store practices; it was not a worldwide requirement imposed on every mobile platform.
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- Redeemable on accounts in the United States and in U.S. Dollars.
- Gift card must be redeemed at EpicGames.com/redeem. This gift card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly on a console device (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, etc.)
- If you play Fortnite experiences on a console device, you need to link your Epic Games account to your console account(s) so items purchased at Fortnite.com/item-shop appear across all of your linked accounts
- Requires internet connection, valid Epic account and prior acceptance of the terms
- Redemption: Online
Can iPhone apps link to outside payments?
Under the operative injunction, an iPhone or iPad app covered by Apple’s App Store rules may include a button, link or call to action directing a customer to an external purchasing mechanism. Apple cannot prohibit that communication merely because the purchase occurs outside Apple’s in-app system.
What the injunction does not require
- It does not require Apple to allow third-party app stores.
- It does not require iOS sideloading.
- It does not automatically eliminate Apple’s in-app-payment rules for transactions that remain inside an app.
- It does not establish that Apple can never charge a commission in any circumstance.
Why January 2024 matters
On January 16, 2024, the Supreme Court denied both sides’ petitions from the original case. Those denials left the anti-steering injunction in effect. They are distinct from the later Supreme Court review of Apple’s contempt appeal.
Rank #2
- Redeemable on accounts in the United States and in U.S. Dollars.
- Gift card must be redeemed at EpicGames.com/redeem. This gift card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly on a console device (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, etc.)
- If you play Fortnite experiences on a console device, you need to link your Epic Games account to your console account(s) so items purchased at Fortnite.com/item-shop appear across all of your linked accounts
- Requires internet connection, valid Epic account and prior acceptance of the terms
- Redemption: Online
Why Apple was held in civil contempt in 2025
The commission and link-design dispute
Apple introduced conditions that, according to the April 2025 district-court contempt ruling, made external purchasing impractical. The dispute centered on a 27% commission on purchases initiated outside the App Store and restrictions on the appearance and operation of external links. The Ninth Circuit later found that the 27% charge had a prohibitive effect and that the link restrictions violated the injunction.
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Judge Rogers held Apple in civil contempt and ordered it not to impede developers’ ability to communicate with users or impose a new commission on off-app purchases. In language reported from the ruling, she said, “Apple’s continued attempts to interfere with competition will not be tolerated.” The operative order required that Apple “no longer impede developers’ ability to communicate with users nor will they levy or impose a new commission on off-app purchases.”
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- An Epic Games account is required to redeem an Epic Games Store Card code
- If playing on a console platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch or Mobile) you need to link your Epic Games account to that gaming platform (one time) to redeem your gift card code
- The 16 digit code on the back of the card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly through your gaming platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch, Mobile, etc.)
- Note: Nintendo devices do not support Fortnite Shared Wallet, so V-Bucks purchased using your account balance will not show up on your Nintendo device. However, if you purchase items in the web Item Shop — or another platform where you play Fortnite — those items will be available in your Locker across all platforms.
- Redemption: Online
Civil contempt enforced compliance with the existing injunction; it was not a new finding that Apple violated federal antitrust law. The order also did not itself create a general right to alternative app stores.
What the Ninth Circuit decided on December 11, 2025
The Ninth Circuit’s opinion affirmed the contempt finding and the core anti-steering injunction. It specifically concluded that Apple’s 27% commission had a prohibitive effect under the injunction and that Apple’s link-design restrictions breached the order. The panel declined to vacate the injunction.
Rank #4
- Redeemable on accounts in the United States and in U.S. Dollars.
- Gift card must be redeemed at EpicGames.com/redeem. This gift card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly on a console device (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, etc.)
- If you play Fortnite experiences on a console device, you need to link your Epic Games account to your console account(s) so items purchased at Fortnite.com/item-shop appear across all of your linked accounts
- Requires internet connection, valid Epic account and prior acceptance of the terms
- Redemption: Online
The appellate court nevertheless reversed or remanded portions of the sanctions order. That means the contempt determination and central conduct findings remained, while some details of the monetary or remedial consequences required further proceedings. The opinion therefore did not end every issue between the parties.
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How the three major rulings differ
| Proceeding | Legal question | Conduct covered | Remedy or sanction | Developer and geographic scope | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2021 district-court judgment | Whether Apple’s App Store practices violated Epic’s federal antitrust theories and California law | Apple’s distribution, payment and anti-steering rules as litigated in Epic’s case | Federal antitrust claims rejected; permanent anti-steering injunction issued under California law | App Store developers subject to the injunction in the U.S. litigation; not a worldwide mandate for every platform | Injunction operative after the Supreme Court’s January 16, 2024 certiorari denials |
| April 2025 contempt order | Whether Apple complied with the existing injunction | 27% charge for off-app purchases and restrictions on external-link design and use | Civil contempt; directions barring interference with developer communications and a new off-app commission; parts of sanctions later challenged | Apple’s App Store conduct covered by the injunction, rather than a rule limited only to Epic’s account | Core contempt finding reviewed on appeal |
| December 11, 2025 Ninth Circuit opinion | Whether the contempt finding and sanctions were legally supported | The same commission and link restrictions, measured against the injunction | Contempt and core injunction affirmed; parts of sanctions reversed or remanded; injunction not vacated | Continues to govern Apple’s covered App Store conduct while further proceedings and Supreme Court review continue | Supreme Court granted review of Apple’s petition on June 30, 2026, limited to Question 1 |
Is the Epic Games–Apple case over?
No. The original merits phase is largely settled, but Apple’s appeal from the contempt proceedings is before the Supreme Court. The Court’s docket, No. 25-1311, shows that review was granted on June 30, 2026, limited to Question 1 in Apple’s petition.
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- An Epic Games account is required to redeem an Epic Games Store Card code
- If playing on a console platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch or Mobile) you need to link your Epic Games account to that gaming platform (one time) to redeem your gift card code
- The 16 digit code on the back of the card WILL NOT work if redeemed directly through your gaming platform (PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch, Mobile, etc.)
- Note: Nintendo devices do not support Fortnite Shared Wallet, so V-Bucks purchased using your account balance will not show up on your Nintendo device. However, if you purchase items in the web Item Shop — or another platform where you play Fortnite — those items will be available in your Locker across all platforms.
- Redemption: Online
- The Ninth Circuit denied rehearing on March 30, 2026.
- Justice Kagan denied Apple’s stay application on August 13, 2026.
- Apple filed its merits brief on September 14, 2026.
- As of September 28, 2026, the docket showed no oral argument or final merits decision.
Because that review is pending, the final legal standard and disposition of the contempt appeal remain unresolved. The Ninth Circuit’s remand also means that some sanctions-related details are not final.
What this means for developers and users
For developers
- You may direct users to an external purchasing mechanism with an in-app button, link or call to action, subject to the injunction’s operative terms and any later court ruling.
- Apple may not make that external route impractical through the 27% charge or prohibited link-design conditions identified by the courts.
- The ruling does not provide a blanket exemption from every App Store rule, nor does it guarantee that every category of digital transaction can avoid Apple’s payment system.
For users
- An app can send you to a website or other external checkout instead of requiring an Apple in-app purchase.
- External checkout may have different refunds, subscriptions, parental controls, fraud protections and account support because those policies are set by the developer or payment provider.
- The case did not make alternative app stores or general iPhone sideloading available.
The practical bottom line
Epic won a meaningful anti-steering remedy, not a broad antitrust victory. Apple must allow covered developers to communicate with users about outside purchases, and the courts found that Apple’s 27% commission and link restrictions undermined that obligation. The injunction remains in force, but the Supreme Court’s 2026 review and the Ninth Circuit’s remand leave the case—and the ultimate sanctions and legal standard—not fully finished.
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