Epic Games Removed from Apple’s App Store

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Apple officially terminated “Fortnite” Creator Epic Games’ App Store account, following a legal battle with the game studio over violating App Store guidelines after the developer started using its own direct payment system. 

The users who have already downloaded Fortnite or other Epic Games’ titles will still be able to play but they won’t be able to make in-app purchases using Apple’s own payment system. Users will no longer be able to download Fortnite or other Epic titles through the App Store. Epic is restricted to submit new games or updates to the App Store from this day forth. 

Apple confirmed the termination in a statement. 

We are disappointed that we have had to terminate the Epic Games account on the App Store. We have worked with the team at Epic Games for many years on their launches and releases. The court recommended that Epic comply with the App Store guidelines while their case moves forward, guidelines they’ve followed for the past decade until they created this situation. Epic has refused. Instead they repeatedly submit Fortnite updates designed to violate the guidelines of the App Store. This is not fair to all other developers on the App Store and is putting customers in the middle of their fight. We hope that we can work together again in the future, but unfortunately that is not possible today.
Tim Sweeney, Epic Games CEO & Founder, pointed out that Apple has started to feature PUBG, Fortnite competitor, just after the termination. 

Apple said the termination will not affect Unreal Engine. A federal judge on Monday ordered Apple to not shut down Epic’s Unreal Engine which is used by thousands of other game developers. “The record shows potential significant damage to both the Unreal Engine platform itself, and to the gaming industry generally, including on both third-party developers and gamers.’’she said and added that even the Fortnite-maker violated Apple’s App Store’s guidelines, it didn’t breach any contracts related to Unreal Engine and Apple’s developer tools.” Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers wrote in a ruling on Monday.  

Related posts:

  1. Epic asks court to stop Apple’s ‘retaliation’ and allow to restore Fortnite in the App Store
  2. Epic Games has filed an injunction to prevent Apple from removing Fortnite from the App Store
  3. Judge Blocks Apple From Shutting Down Epic’s Unreal Engine
  4. Microsoft Files A Statement To Support Fortnite-Maker Epic Games In Apple Fight
  5. Apple Files A Countersuit Against Epic Over Breach Of Contract

Written by Sophie Blake

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