Apple removes Fortnite from App Store, with Epic Games alleging Apple of hindrance to fair competition.
Here's the revised article:
The universal Fortnite-Apple standoff: Epic Games pulls the plug on the popular game globally, blaming Apple for the mess.
It's game over, worldwide, for Fortnite on iOS, as Epic Games has taken the game offline, snarling at Apple for the predicament. Until now, only American Apple users had been missing out on this wildly popular title, but now it's a global issue, affecting millions of players daily.
Epic Games spilled the beans on their website, stating, "Sorry to say, Fortnite on iOS will be MIA worldwide today."
The reason for this kerfuffle? Apple hasn't approved Epic Games' game for the US App Store, and Epic predicts it'll stay this way "until Apple frees it up."
Epic Games also reported that Fortnite disappeared from the iOS scene in Europe, where it had previously been offered through the publisher's own app store.
Tried to get a comment from Apple? AFP couldn't pry an answer out of them.
Apple spoke to AFP, however, maintaining it wasn't crippling Fortnite on alternative app stores and suggested Epic Games submit their title for validation outside the US.
Last summer, Epic Games announced plans to launch a mobile app store on Android devices globally and on iPhone and iPad in Europe. However, they lamented not being able to launch these stores on iOS in the US. "The battle ain't over until Fortnite is back on iOS everywhere," Epic CEO Tim Sweeney declared.
This latest episode is a fresh twist in the rocky relationship between the two American giants.
Epic Games, like other publishers, has criticized Apple for years for abusing its dominant position by charging excessive commissions and controlling the App Store — the primary platform for consumers to download apps or pay for digital subscriptions.
Anticompetitive
This criticism also targets Apple's requirement that developers can't direct customers to their own websites or payment methods.
This battle has a legal front, with the first trial happening in 2021, a few months after Fortnite was initially kicked out of the App Store due to Apple's allegations that Epic was bypassing the iOS payment service.
A court decision then labeled Apple as "anticompetitive," and it was told to open up to competition. But neither this ruling nor the EU's mandate to allow alternative app stores didn't end the beef.
Obstruction accusation
American players got a glimmer of hope in early May, when Epic indicated that it had submitted a request for Fortnite's return to the App Store.
Epic's director, however, hinted on social media at a tricky process. On Thursday, he admitted he had heard nothing about this request, stating, "Apple has neither accepted nor rejected it."
He then pointed the finger at Apple for using their verification processes as "a tool to delay or obstruct competition."
Earlier in May, a federal judge in the US accused Apple of failing to comply with a decision made over three years ago.
[1] Epic Games and Apple Clash Over App Store Revenue Sharing - The New York Times[2] Fortnite: The Medal of Honor sues Apple and Google – Libération[3] Fortnite removed from the App Store and Google Play: Epic Games accuses Apple and Google of monopolizing mobile game sales – PCInpact (French)[4] Fortnite is facing a further ban from the App Store in the EU – The Verge
Epic Games' decision to remove Fortnite globally was influenced by Apple's refusal to allow Fortnite in the US App Store. Since then, Apple has clarified it did not block Fortnite updates in the EU. The ongoing dispute continues as Apple has yet to allow Fortnite back into the US App Store. The conflict traces back to 2020 when Epic added a feature to bypass Apple's payment system, leading to Apple removing Fortnite from the App Store. This action was part of a broader dispute over Apple's app store policies and revenue share.
- The global standoff between Epic Games and Apple over Fortnite highlights Epic's concerns about Apple's alleged anticompetitive practices, such as the requirement for developers to use Apple's in-app payment system, which Epic believes stifles competition in the finance sector of the business industry.
- This dispute, which has also spilled over into the realm of politics, through legal proceedings, has resulted in Epic accusing Apple of obstruction, as they believe Apple is using its verification processes to delay or obstruct competition in the technology sector, particularly with regards to the launch of Epic's own mobile app store.
- Despite the legal decision in 2021 labeling Apple as anticompetitive and the EU's mandate to allow alternative app stores, the general-news headlines continue to be filled with updates on this ongoing battle between these two American tech titans.
