The world’s favorite multiplayer game is fighting the biggest tech companies in the world. Developers of the popular multiplayer game Fortnite are in a feud against Google and Apple, and the war is now spreading to other branches of Epic Games like a wildfire. Apple is shutting off the support for Epic Games’ Unreal Engine in its ecosystem. This latest blow comes after Fortnite trolls Apple’s famous commercial from 1984. However, the game company is blaming Apple for their mistreatment and taking legal action.
It’s worth noting that Apple and Google found Epic Games guilty of breaching their app store policies. Currently, every app developer is selling its in-app products via the respective app stores. However, Epic Games decided to reroute the traffic by making players purchase the in-game currency from their standalone website. The policy is a breach of user safety and security protocols, according to the tech giants. Therefore, the ban completely justifies the stand against Epic Games. On the other hand, Fortnite devs stay adamant about refusing to follow the protocols by stating the loss in their business. They are now suing both Apple and Google for restricting their trade opportunities.
So far, the legal terms favor the tech giants because Epic Games are breaching the in-game product policies. However, Apple’s latest announcement shows its plan to utterly cut-off Epic from the entire Mac and iPhone ecosystem. The statement means that Unreal Engine will also face the ban, which is the foundation for many other apps and games. Apple is clearly stating that it’s the Epic Games who brought this upon themselves. With no chance to win, the only chance Epic has is to reinstate the in-game purchasing system for game currency. But we will have to wait to know what turn this feud takes shortly.
Update:
#FreeFortnight is now trending on twitter with gamers joining the Epic Games’ fight against the tech giants. In other news, people are now using eBay to make a profit from the battle of the two companies. Some users are selling iPhones with Fortnite on eBay in the USA for thousands of dollars. Apple is not willing to take a step back, and Epic Games is not going to give up quickly too. However, Apple Inc’s stand on the issue is unambiguous that they won’t make any exceptions. The rules are the same for every developer using the app store. Any developer publishing an app on the app store has to agree to give Apple a cut of 30% from any purchase a user makes through the platform. Google’s Play Store has the same set of rules. Therefore, even the battle is now on the legal grounds, the chances of Epic Games winning it are very slim. The only hope is the tech giants succumbing to the pressure and easing the taxation norms for every developer.