Apple and Epic Games are facing off in Australia among other countries, and this week, Apple accused Epic Games of seeking a "free ride" on its platform. In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said that it will continue to fight for a ruling that respects its intellectual property.
"Epic is now asking to free ride on Apple's platform and dismantle every safeguard we've put in place to protect users and developers -- a request that goes well beyond the Court's ruling. We will continue to seek an outcome that respects our intellectual property and protects the safe, secure experience consumers and developers expect from our platform."
For context, Epic Games sued Apple in Australia way back in 2020, accusing the company of violating competition laws. In August 2025, Australia's federal court partially sided with Epic, deciding that Apple's rules prohibiting sideloading and alternative payment methods did indeed violate the Competition and Consumer Act.
The court hasn't decided on how it will address Apple's anti-competitive behavior, but Epic Games wants the court to permit sideloading on iPhones in Australia, with no fees paid to Apple.
Apple believes that Epic's request goes beyond what the court declared in its August ruling. While the judge said Apple's anti-sideloading rules violated competition law, the ruling also acknowledged that Apple has the right to be paid for its technology, and that Apple's security and privacy concerns are a valid reason to prohibit third-party app stores.
Apple and Epic Games had a case management hearing on October 17 ahead of additional hearings that will determine the measures that are put in place to address Apple's alleged violation. Epic Games has submitted its proposed remedies, and the court will now consider the arguments made by Epic Games and Apple.
An initial remedies hearing is set to take place in December, but the full relief hearing has been postponed until March 2026 to give Apple more time to consider and respond to what Epic Games has proposed.
While no decision has been reached, the initial ruling suggests that Apple could be forced to allow sideloading and alternate payment options in Australia, similar to what's happened in the European Union with the Digital Markets Act. Apple is concerned that the court will reach a decision that could create privacy and security concerns for consumers and expose them to increased risk.
Epic Games has claimed that Fortnite will eventually be returning to iOS in Australia as a result of the ruling.
