Apple Earned Over $100 Million From Fortnite

Apple collected more than $100 million in revenue from the 30 percent cut that it takes from Fortnite in-app purchases, according to testimony provided by App Store gaming business development head Michael Schmid, who shared the detail in the ongoing Epic v. Apple trial.

fortnite apple featured
As noted by Bloomberg, Schmid offered the $100 million figure as a rough estimate, and declined to provide a specific dollar amount because that would be "inappropriate."

Sensor Tower last year estimated that Fortnite players have spent $1.2 billion on in-app purchases in the ‌App Store‌, which would have netted Apple $354 million. Fortnite has been on the ‌App Store‌ since 2018, and prior to its removal, it was a highly popular iOS game.

According to Schmid, Apple spent $1 million marketing for Fortnite in its last 11 months on the ‌App Store‌.

Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi is testifying in the Epic v. Apple trial today, following Phil Schiller's testimony earlier this week. Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to take the stand on Friday, where he will answer questions for 100 minutes.

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
airtag purple

Apple's Website Lists AirTag 4-Pack at Shockingly Low Price [Updated]

Friday November 7, 2025 6:40 am PST by
Apple's online store in the U.S. is suddenly offering a pack of four AirTags for just $29, which is the same price as a single AirTag. This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked. Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...
Finder Siri Feature

Apple's New Siri Will Be Powered By Google Gemini

Wednesday November 5, 2025 11:57 am PST by
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google. For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...
apple watch se 3 always on

Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:37 am PST by
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report. Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...
ikea smart home devices

IKEA Debuts 21 HomeKit-Compatible Smart Bulbs, Sensors, and Controls

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:08 pm PST by
IKEA today announced the upcoming launch of 21 new Matter-compatible smart home products that will be able to interface with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. There are sensors, lights, and control options, all of which will be reasonably priced. Some of the products are new, while some are updates to existing lines that IKEA previously offered. There are a series of new smart bulbs that are...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple's 2026 Smart Home Revamp: All the Rumors

Wednesday November 5, 2025 3:54 pm PST by
It's been over a decade since Apple's HomeKit smart home platform launched, and it is overdue for an update. HomeKit and the Home app can no longer keep up with AI-powered solutions from other companies like Google and Amazon, but that's set to change with a smart home revamp that Apple has planned for 2026. Home Hub Apple is working on a home hub or "command center" that will serve as a...
apple tv logo physical

New Apple TV Intro Was Made With Practical Effects

Thursday November 6, 2025 7:02 am PST by
The all-new intro sequence for Apple TV was made with practical effects and shot in-camera, Ad Age reports. Rather than using digital techniques, the new sequence was made by shooting large glass versions of the Apple TV logo, with physical motion and changing lighting used to create effects. Apple partnered with TBWA\Media Arts Lab to create the intro. Ad Age released an exclusive look...

Top Rated Comments

ck2875 Avatar
59 months ago
Gets out Rough Estimate Calculator:

Apple's 100m = 30/100 = 100m/333m.

333m x 70/100 = 233m.

So if Apple made over $100m from Fortnite on iOS, Epic made over $233m from having their game on iOS.


(Advice to future self: Avoid letting your children anywhere near Free-to-Play money/fire pits.)
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GizmoDVD Avatar
59 months ago

Hope Apples store tax will be reduced or removed. Apples monopoly needs to end.
Go yell at every other store making money. And target. And Walmart. And grocery stores. And gas stations. And
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
59 months ago

Totally justified. It's very expensive for Apple for iOS fortnite players to launch the fortnite app, log in to their fortnite account, connect to EPIC's servers, and download virtual content produced by EPIC'S employees that is hosted and distributed by EPIC. After all, Apple has to process the payments for all that digital content purchased from some other company and hosted by someone else's property (due to self self-inposed rules which has apparently netted them a cool $100 million).
Absolutely. Apple built a platform costing how many $$$. For a paltry $99 and blood, sweat and tears, you can publish an app, with a complete management and distribution platform while giving access to the app to over 1 billion devices.

Seems like a fair deal.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Eso Avatar
59 months ago
Totally justified. It's very expensive for Apple for iOS fortnite players to launch the fortnite app, log in to their fortnite account, connect to EPIC's servers, and download virtual content produced by EPIC'S employees that is hosted and distributed by EPIC. After all, Apple has to process the payments for all that digital content purchased from some other company and hosted by someone else's property (due to self self-inposed rules which has apparently netted them a cool $100 million).
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GizmoDVD Avatar
59 months ago

Totally justified. It's very expensive for Apple for iOS fortnite players to launch the fortnite app, log in to their fortnite account, connect to EPIC's servers, and download virtual content produced by EPIC'S employees that is hosted and distributed by EPIC. After all, Apple has to process the payments for all that digital content purchased from some other company and hosted by someone else's property (due to self self-inposed rules which has apparently netted them a cool $100 million).
Damn.

Absolutely. Apple built a platform costing how many $$$. For a paltry $99 and blood, sweat and tears, you can publish an app, with a complete management and distribution platform while giving access to the app to over 1 billion devices.

Seems like a fair deal.
It’s like people ignore that. Apple isn’t a charity.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djphat2000 Avatar
59 months ago

And this is why the current system has to go. Apple doesn’t deserve a fraction of this, whatever nonsense excuses the fanboys grasp for.
So what do they deserve to get? What's the number? Cause I can almost 100% guarantee that the other business will want it to be zero.
Listen, Apple didn't make the AppStore for free. They didn't make the iPhone for free. They get to charge as much as the market will bare. If they charge too much, people/business will not pay and leave the platform. If they charge the right amount, people/business will continue to pay. This is generally how it works, how it's always worked. There is no monopoly here, they don't own all cell phones, and or appstore's. If any developer does not want to pay the 30% fee. They simply don't have to charge anything for the app. There is like 10's of thousands of apps on the app store that is free. Apple doesn't charge for any of that. Should they?

IAP can be simple to fix. Just a message in the app that says "You can't purchase here". Make an Ad on TV or other media outlets that tells the public how to get your IAP online via the web or other means that will work. And done. Spend millions on those Ads to make sure people get the message. And you owe Apple ZERO DOLLARS.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)