Apple has escalated its long-running legal battle with Epic Games to the US Supreme Court, seeking to overturn a contempt ruling tied to App Store payment rules that could have major implications for developers worldwide.

The iPhone maker filed a petition overnight asking the nation’s highest court to review two key issues stemming from its dispute with Fortnite creator Epic Games.

At the centre of the case is Apple’s practice of charging developers commissions on purchases made outside its App Store ecosystem.

The latest Supreme Court appeal comes just days after Epic relaunched Fortnite on iPhones globally, excluding Australia, as the company continues fighting Apple over App Store commissions and external payment rules.

The fight dates back to 2020, when Epic sued Apple over what it claimed were anti-competitive App Store practices. While Apple largely won the case, a US court ordered the company in 2021 to allow developers to direct users to alternative payment methods outside Apple’s own billing system.

Apple complied but introduced new rules including commissions of up to 27% on purchases made via external links. Epic argued the move undermined the intent of the court order, leading a judge in 2025 to find Apple in civil contempt.

Apple now argues the injunction never explicitly banned external commissions and says it should not be punished for violating the “spirit” of an order rather than its exact wording.

It is also challenging the broad scope of the ruling, claiming it improperly applies to millions of developers globally despite Epic being the sole plaintiff.

Epic dismissed Apple’s latest move as a “last Hail Mary” designed to delay increased competition in app payments.

The Supreme Court recently rejected Apple’s request to pause lower court proceedings, but the new petition asks the court to formally hear the broader dispute.

A decision on whether the case will proceed is expected as early as June.