Epic Games launches court action against Fortnite for ban on Apple products
13 August 2020
Apple has removed Fortnite from its App Store, which has prevented players from installing one of the most popular games on iPhones.
It was in response to Fortnite's update that allowed players to buy in-game currency at lower prices when they bought directly from Epic Games, bypassing Apple.
Epic seemed to know that the ban would come and announced it had filed a legal complaint just minutes after the removal.
Apple takes a standard 30% cut of sales made through its mandatory payment system.
Google removed the app from their Google Play Store just hours later, however it is still available on Android phones via other ways, like Epic Games' launcher.
On iOS the App Store is the only way to legitimately load apps. Apple claimed Epic had violated App Store's rules.
These guidelines prohibit any payment system apart from Apple's, and has been the subject of a number of prominent disputes between developers and Apple.
Epic announced that iPhone users with the app installed will be able to use the app until the next update is released. After that, they will lose certain features.
Users who use an Apple Mac computer won't be affected because they don't access the iOS App Store.
Epic tweeted the California court complaint and announced that it would soon show a short film titled Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite. This is a play on George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.
The novel is about a dystopian world that controls its citizens and is tolerant of discord - and was referenced by Apple in a well-known TV advertisement in 1984, when the new company styled itself as taking on then-dominant IBM."
According to court documents, Apple has a monopoly on deciding which apps can be installed on iPhones and requesting its own payment system. Titan launcher for mc This is done with a 30 percent cut.
Piers Harding-Rolls is the games research director at Ampere Analysis. He said that Epic's violation of the rules was done to force Apple to remove the app.
"Removing Fortnite is a great method to gain the base of support for Epic which is what it is trying to do."
He also said that iPhones aren't the largest platform for Fortnite , but Epic will still be aware of the ban. However, Epic stated that the iOS version "generates hundreds to millions of dollars in revenue every month on Apple platforms".
Clash of titans
This cost is not well-liked by developers. For many people, a 30 percent profit share is comparable to a shakedown.
One app developer One app developer compared Apple to the mafia in the last month. This is a fundamentally anti-competition argument.
Apple and Google operate the operating systems for pretty much all of the phones around the world. This means that they can choose who can run apps on their stores, and who doesn't.
They also determine the cost. This is duopoly, say some developers.
In Epic Games though, Apple is a sworn enemy.
Fortnite is ludicrously profitable, Epic Games has the cash to spend Apple on. And the way this has been carried out by passing the savings on to the consumer - is clearly a tactic. Epic Games wants to take this fight to the wide world.
And with the EU and US Congress taking a close look at Apple's business practices, this is attention the company could do without.
In its court filing, Epic said it was not seeking financial compensation.
It was stated that Epic is seeking injunctive relief in order to allow fair competition in two crucial markets that directly impact hundreds of millions of consumers as well as thousands, if not thousands, of third-party app developers.
The documents also hint at a bigger purpose.
"But in the event of Apple's illegal restrictions, Epic would provide a alternative app store for iOS devices," it says.
Epic Games launched its Epic Games Store to change the PC gaming industry. It's goal is to draw players away from Steam by offering free games that are popular and highly evaluated.
Piers Harding-Rolls claimed that the row is similar of the same challenge - Epic charges game developers 12 percent for PC games, whereas Steam charges 30%.
He stated that Apple and Google were a long-term target of Epic CEO Tim Sweeney's ire as he believes that the 30 percent revenue share they pay for in-game monetisation as well as app sales is excessive.
"However the challenge of taking on Apple is a different challenge as opposed to the PC market because it's difficult to create a third-party storefront on iOS or to make money from apps outside of the App Store."
Google's Android system makes use of Google's payment system to buy apps. Google takes a cut however Android lets developers and users to use other payment options.
In an announcement, Apple said the rules were applied equally to every developer, and they claimed that Epic had updated their game "with the explicit intention of violating the App Store guidelines".
It said that Epic has been using the App Store for over 10 years and has benefited from the App Marketplace ecosystem.
"The fact that their business interests make them push for a specific arrangement does not change the fact that these guidelines create a level playing field for all developers and make the store safe for all users."
It also stated that it would collaborate with Epic to bring Fortnite back.
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