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

m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
iPhone 16e Bottom Crop

Apple Reportedly Unveiling a New iPhone Next Week

Tuesday February 10, 2026 1:51 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report said the iPhone 17e will be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website, so do not expect an event for this device specifically. The iPhone 17e will be a spec-bumped successor to the iPhone 16e. Rumors claim the device will have four key...
Apple Logo Black

Apple Acquires New Database App

Wednesday February 11, 2026 6:44 am PST by
Apple acquired Canadian graph database company Kuzu last year, it has emerged. The acquisition, spotted by AppleInsider, was completed in October 2025 for an undisclosed sum. The company's website was subsequently taken down and its Github repository was archived, as is commonplace for Apple acquisitions. Kuzu was "an embedded graph database built for query speed, scalability, and easy of ...

Top Rated Comments

ck2875 Avatar
62 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)
62 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
62 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
62 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)
62 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)
62 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)