Fortnite: Where is the Apple Vs. Epic Battle Heading?

The gaming world has stood still ever since Apple and Epic decided to take legal steps against each other. This war has apparently seen over 60 million players quitting the game. While this has been a problem for the entire community, it isn’t something one can do much about.  

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, retweeted a post from Dean Takahashi, which had a comprehensive summary of everything that has been going on with the lawsuit. 

The article covered the topic “Apple v. Epic — a briefing on the antitrust arguments and interesting facts.” A similar problem with Google has taken the backseat for now. 

Everything started back on August 13 when Epic decided to add another method of payment. Their move to add a discount policy and direct payment mechanism led to Fortnite eventually being banned on iOS. While this was considered a drastic move, certain variables need to be addressed. 

Apple Vs Epic, where is it heading? 

On one hand, the case showed a violation of the Terms of Service. Tim Sweeney has vociferously argued that the 30% commissions the big companies take of every game transaction is unfair and Epic should be able to directly sell its in-app goods to players for lower prices.

Epic came out swinging, filing lawsuits against both Apple and Google. Their marketing campaign also added a parody version of mocking Apple’s stance. After #FreeFortnite became viral on social media, Epic announced a tournament to give free skins that looked like rotten apples. 

The community was wondering what is at stake for these two companies. VentureBeat reported, “Epic Games hasn’t asked the court for any damages. It is only requesting that Apple be prohibited from punishing Epic Games for its actions related to the direct payments in Fortnite. Apple has asked for compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and interest, as well as restitution and disgorgement of all earnings, profits, compensation, benefits, and other allegedly ill-gotten gains Epic obtained as a result of conduct in violation of Apple’s terms of service.”

Read more – Epic Games CEO Questions Apple on Their Freedom of Information

The conclusion on Fortnite returning to iOS

Epic and Apple have both put forth their arguments, along with justifications for their action. Epic Games have a stronger claim here against Apple’s monopolization. Apple reacted with a bit of humor from their side, especially with the antitrust claim. 

This matter has left the community confused for a while. Numerous fans think that the players are the only ones suffering from this. The legal battle between these tech conglomerates might take years to resolve. In the meantime, it’s best for players to find alternative means of playing Fortnite.