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In a landmark decision handed down late Tuesday, Australia’s Federal Court ruled that Apple and Google breached competition law by forcing developers—most prominently Fortnite-maker Epic Games—to use their in-house payment systems and to pay up to 30 % commissions on in-app sales. Justice Jonathan Beach found the two tech giants engaged in “exclusive dealing that substantially lessened competition,” ordering both companies to open their mobile storefronts to third-party payment processors and to reinstate the Epic Games Store and Fortnite on iOS and Android within 90 days. H2: What the ruling means for gamers For Australian players, the judgment paves the way for Fortnite to re-appear on the App Store and Google Play for the first time since August 2020, when Epic intentionally circumvented Apple’s billing rules and triggered a global legal showdown. The court also compelled the platforms to allow direct downloads of the Epic Games Store app, giving mobile users access to Epic’s weekly free-game promotions that have driven millions of new accounts on PC and, more recently, on Android and iOS in other regions. H2: A catalyst for worldwide antitrust pressure Although the ruling applies only to Australia, analysts say it strengthens worldwide regulatory scrutiny already mounting under the EU Digital Markets Act and ongoing U.S. Department of Justice cases. Legal scholars note that Justice Beach’s reasoning—that the 30 % cut is “well above a competitive rate in a two-sided market”—mirrors arguments now surfacing in Brazil, India, Japan and South Korea. Expect fresh class actions from independent developers who have long claimed Apple and Google suffocate price innovation by banning alternative payment rails. H2: How Apple and Google may respond Both companies confirmed they will appeal, but compliance deadlines loom. Apple must publish revised App Review Guidelines allowing external payment buttons; Google is required to expand its User Choice Billing pilot into a permanent option across all Android markets. Failure to do so risks daily penalties of up to A$3 million. Industry observers forecast that even a stay on the order will not stop rival payment gateways such as Stripe and PayPal from lobbying developers to integrate cheaper checkout SDKs. H2: Impact on subscription pricing Epic estimates developers could see profit margins rise 17–24 % once alternative billing goes live, savings that may filter down to consumers through discounted V-Bucks bundles and lower-priced premium apps. Mobile subscription services such as Spotify and YouTube Premium—already test-marketing card-based sign-ups in the EU—are poised to push similar offers in Australia the moment Apple and Google update their storefront rules. H2: What’s next for Epic Games Tim Sweeney, Epic’s CEO, called the ruling “an epic win for fair competition” and reiterated plans to launch an Australian-specific publisher program that gives local studios 100 % of revenue for the first six months on the Epic Games Store. The company also hinted that Unreal Engine 6 will ship with one-click mobile deployment templates that bypass platform fees entirely—yet another pressure point on incumbent app stores. H2: Key takeaways • Fortnite’s long-awaited return to iPhone and Android in Australia is imminent. • Developers will soon be able to process in-app payments via third-party gateways, undercutting the 30 % commission. • The decision adds momentum to global antitrust campaigns targeting Apple and Google’s mobile dominance. • Consumers can expect price drops on digital goods and new indie titles arriving through the Epic Games Store app. For gamers, developers, and regulators worldwide, the Australian verdict signals that the era of closed mobile ecosystems may finally be cracking open—one epic ruling at a time.