CNET
Apple's struggle with Fortnites Developer just got a little more epic. Apple increased the pressure on Epic Games on Friday, banned the company's developer account and effectively prevented its Fortnite game from being updated on iPhones and iPads.
Apple and Epic are in a battle for money and power, and who gets it? Apple calculates commissions of up to 30% of digital items purchased through apps on its platform, including silly clothes and popular dances that Fortnite players buy for their characters that adds to the billions of dollars the game has made so far. Epic making the popular online fighting game the last man Bypassed Apple's rules on August 13th activated as a hidden code in Fortnite to allow players to send direct payments to Epic.
For more of that
Subscribe to the Apple Report newsletter, receive notifications, and check out related articles on CNET.
Apple returned the favor by dumping Fortnite from the App Store. Epic returned the favor with a lawsuit and PR campaign against Apple, including a #FreeFortnite game tournament and a video mocking the company's iconic "1984" Macintosh computer commercial.
A California judge who oversaw the case between the two companies declined to stop Apple Locking Epic's Account from the App Store. Apple had previously said this is the case in legal proceedings and in public statements ready to restore Epic's account if the company removes the changes from Fortnite while the two companies discuss it in court.
"The court recommended Epic to adhere to the App Store guidelines as the case progresses. Those guidelines have been followed for the past decade until they created this situation. Epic has declined," the company said, adding that Epic "repeatedly" submitted updates that were still against its policy. "We hope that we can work together again in the future, but unfortunately that is not possible today."
Epic did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There is a similar but less public dynamic play between Epic and Google, although the Fortnite maker's lawsuit has not yet held its first hearing in this case.
Apple's decision puts pressure on Epic, whose Fortnite game has more than 250 million people who have signed up to play between computers, phones, tablets and video game consoles. The games become a cultural phenomenon, played by sports stars like baseball pitcher Josh Hader and musicians like Drake. Part of its popularity stems from its cartoon feel that makes it more palatable to parents, its easy-to-play, difficult-to-master gameplay, and its newfound role as a novel social network for teenagers.
While Epic is one of the biggest companies that Apple is fighting for its App Store policies, it's not the first. A growing list of companies, including Facebook, has braved Apple's commission of up to 30%. On Friday, the social network said Apple had refused an update for one of its apps inform users of Apple's "tax". (Apple has been criticizing Facebook for its ad tracking practices over the past few years and has made new technological changes in its upcoming iPhone software that could affect Facebook's business.)
Apple said that while Epic's account is banned from developing Fortnite, the company's other legal entity that makes the Unreal Engine tools for game developers can still use the App Store.
The two companies are expected to meet again in court next month.
