Epic Games files another lawsuit against Apple in their ongoing legal battle.
The battle between Fortnite developer Epic Games and Apple rages on after what took place late last week. To briefly summarize what transpired between the two companies, Epic Games planned to bypass Apple’s 30% fee on in-app purchases. The multi-billion-dollar video game developers attempted to do so with a direct payment option, promising a small discount on all in-app Fortnite purchases. Apple responded with the removal of Fortnite from all iOS devices. Google followed shortly after that with the removal of Fortnite from its Google Play Store.
Apple States Intentions to Remove Epic-related Apps
Earlier today, Apple doubled down on its reprehension of Epic Games, stating its intentions to remove all Epic-associated applications from the App Store. According to a counter-motion filed by Epic Games, Apple made plans of “restricting, suspending, or terminating any Epic entity from Apple’s Developer Program, on the basis that Epic enabled in-app payment processing in Fortnite through means other than IAP or on the basis of the steps Epic took to do so.” If Apple follows through with its intentions, all applications related to Epic will leave the App Store on August 28.
Unfortunately for Epic, this means much more in the bigger picture than just Fortnite. Apple is looking to remove any apps related to the North Carolina-based developer indefinitely. Esports insider Rod “Slasher” Breslau reported that Epic filed a court order to counter Apple’s attempt at removing Fortnite and several other applications from the App Store.
Apple has informed Epic Games that it will "terminate all [their] developer accounts and cut Epic off from iOS and Mac development tools" on August 28th, according to a new statement. Epic has filed a court order to stop this https://t.co/s4MKo6iWcg
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) August 17, 2020
Epic Counters With Another Lawsuit
The 34-page document composed by Epic and its legal team is now a matter of public record after Apple ultimately decided to sever ties. Slasher noted one of Epic’s primary concerns, primarily that several apps use the developer’s Unreal Engine. If Apple succeeds in removing all applications associated with Epic, it could significantly damage the developer’s reputation.
Epic says that included in the tools that Apple will revoke is the Unreal Engine that hundreds of third party developers use. "Apple’s actions will irreparably damage Epic’s reputation among Fortnite users and be catastrophic for the future of the separate Unreal Engine business"
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) August 17, 2020
Epic’s power move seemed odd from the beginning, especially considering how much leverage Apple has in the situation. Millions of players across the world play Fortnite exclusively on Apple iOS devices. Epic Games’ attempt to bypass Apple’s purchase fees now seems to be biting them back in an alarming fashion. Business Insider reported last week that Apple had earned $360 million over the previous three years from Fortnite’s in-game currency, known as V-Bucks.
Stay tuned to ESTNN for the latest updates on the continuing legal battle between Fortnite developer Epic Games and Apple.
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