Epic Games and Apple are at war and it seems to be escalating further with every passing day. Since Apple removed Fortnite from its App Store, things have taken an ugly turn. Now, Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney took to Twitter to explain the gaming company’s motives and why it is standing up to Apple.
At the most basic level, we’re fighting for the freedom of people who bought smartphones to install apps from sources of their choosing, the freedom for creators of apps to distribute them as they choose, and the freedom of both groups to do business directly.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) August 14, 2020
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To give a bit of background, Epic introduced a direct payment method in Fortnite, across both mobile platforms, Android and iOS. This was done to bypass the 30% cut that would have gone to Google and Apple as a fee for services rendered. With the new payment mode, however, Epic vowed to pass on the benefits to its players, in the form of discounted purchases.
Apple stated that the new mode of payment, termed as the ‘mega drop’, was neither reviewed nor approved by them. Hence, they swiftly removed Fortnite from its store for not following guidelines.
Epic Games CEO talks about their fight against Apple
Tim Sweeney explained, through a series of tweets, that they aren’t fighting to reap benefits for themselves but rather for all smartphone users. He also stated that they are looking for developers to do business with directly.
Another argument against supporting #FreeFortnite is "this is just a billion dollar company fighting a trillion dollar company about money". But the fight isn't over Epic wanting a special deal, it's about the basic freedoms of all consumers and developers.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) August 14, 2020
Sweeney is of the opinion that they need to defend their rights even against the likes of Apple. He had previously commented that Epic is not looking for a ‘sweet’ deal with Apple.
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Finally, there's nothing wrong with fighting about money. You work hard to earn this stuff. When you spent it, the way it's divided determines whether your money funds the creation of games or is taken by middlemen who use their power to separate gamers from game creators.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) August 14, 2020
He proceeded to say that it isn’t wrong to fight over money because it’s a hard-earned asset. He ended the thread of tweets with a bold statement against Apple’s actions.
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Epic has voiced its opinion against Apple in several ways. First, it recreated Apple’s iconic 1984 ad with Fortnite characters to start the #freefortnite movement. Then, it filed a lawsuit against the tech giants but stated that they are not looking for compensation. Rather, Epic is making a stand against Apple’s monopolistic methods.
Apple did say that they’d look to work things out with Epic to bring the game back to the App Store. However, Epic Games is looking to defend its rights even if it means fighting a goliath like Apple.
