Apple was in danger of having to show up in court on May 27 if it didn't respond satisfactorily to a show cause order by Wednesday, but neither is no longer necessary.

The court ruling makes it possible for Microsoft to now launch its Xbox mobile store, but it’s clear that the software giant also wants to ensure Apple’s appeal against the ruling isn’t successful. If Microsoft did launch its Xbox mobile store and then Apple won a temporary stay, it may have to pull that store pending the appeal process.

The Fortnite publisher believes Apple is acting in violation of the injunction filed against it by a US district court.

Epic Games, a US-based studio backed by China's Tencent, has been locked in a legal battle with Apple since 2020. Epic Games alleged the iPhone maker's practice of charging a commission of up to 30 percent on in-app payments violated US antitrust rules.

The problem is that Apple is specifically not allowed to “prohibit” the use of external payment links. It can reject apps, or ban developer accounts, at its own discretion. But if it rejects an app or bans a dev for no reason other than its use of such links, does that amount to a de facto prohibition? Again, that’s debatable.

Epic Games' "Fortnite" is still not approved on the US App Store, and a federal judge has ordered Apple to explain in very short order why it's defying the antisteering court order in the ongoing dispute.