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Apple Kicks Epic Games Off The App Store Over Fortnite Legal Battle
Apple has removed Epic Games' developer account from the App Store, the latest move in the feud boiling around Epic Games' popular battle royale Fortnite. The conflict arose when Epic willfully broke Apple's terms of service, evading the tech giant's fees on transactions concerning Fortnite's in-game currency V-Bucks. Since then, Apple has removed Fortnite from its App Store, and Epic has filed suit in response.
Epic and Apple have been fighting tooth and nail ever since Fortnite's initial delisting, and they're not alone. Google, who was subjected to a similar scheme by Epic, has also removed Fortnite from the Google Play Store, prompting Epic to sue it as well. Meanwhile, Microsoft has thrown its lot in with Epic, supporting the developer's battle to take down Apple's alleged monopoly.
Recently, a judge decreed that Apple's threatened termination Epic's developer account would not be allowed, because multiple third-party developers rely on its Unreal Engine to create their games. But Apple isn't taking that lying down. As reported by MacRumors, Epic Games' developer account has been terminated entirely. Not only is Fortnite gone, but so is every other game Epic has released on iOS. The move leaves Unreal Engine untouched, however. Apple has stated that this is a routine response to content creators who violate its terms and services, and even goes so far as to call out Epic Games, accusing it of "putting customers in the middle of their fight." Apple maintains that it wants to seek an amicable solution and welcome Epic back to its storefront in the future.
However, Apple isn't afraid to play dirty. In addition to stripping Epic Games from the App Store, the tech company is launching its own sly PR campaign by promoting the mobile version of Player Unknown's Battlegrounds, another prominent battle royale and one of Fortnite's major competitors. This move has been met with, of all things, amusement from Epic CEO Tim Sweeney, who points out that PUBG and its mobile version were both built using Epic's Unreal Engine.
The war between Epic Games and Apple is a long and brutal campaign, revolving around a very complex issue. Fans are divided over the fight, and there are certainly valid issues on both sides. On one hand, Epic did knowingly violate Apple's terms, and Apple is within its rights to take issue. On the other hand, Epic isn't the first developer to decry Apple's App Store gatekeeping, and if a full-on media war and a lawsuit is what it takes to expose this shadiness, then it might just be worth the risk. Mobile Fortnite fans are going to miss the game, and Epic's other titles, on the iOS platform, but it looks like it's a loss that they'll just have to get used to for now.
Fortnite is now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
