Apple first kicked Fortnite off the App Store last August for flouting its rules on in-app payments on the iPhone by giving users an alternative way to pay. The removal led Epic Games to file what appeared to be a largely premeditated lawsuit. Apple will not allow Fortnite back on its devices until its legal battle with the video game’s maker, Epic Games, has fully concluded, potentially delaying the game’s return to iPhones by several years. The move further escalates a months-long court battle between the two companies over Apple’s rules for its App Store and suggests the hugely popular game won’t make it back onto iOS devices until the end of an appeals process. Is this a silencing move ?

