Xbox CEO Backs Epic Games In Fight Against Apple

The Epic Games vs Apple and Google saga has just begun, and it already has interesting developments. It started with Epic allowing their players a bypass through the Fortnite iOS and Android app to purchase V-bucks directly from their website. This violated Apple’s rules, and they removed Fortnite from the App Store. Google followed suit shortly after.

But Tim Sweeney and Co. were more than ready as they handed out lawsuits to both the companies. Epic even made a parody of an old Apple ad, calling out their monopolistic policies. And it seems Tim already has some big names supporting him in this conquest, which now includes Xbox.

Xbox CEO Phil Spencer backs Epic Games

Xbox Chief Phil Spencer has voiced his support for Epic via Twitter.

“Today we filed a statement in support of Epic’s request to keep access to the Apple SDK for its Unreal Engine. Ensuring that Epic has access to the latest Apple technology is the right thing for gamer developers & gamers.”

You can take a look at the document over here.

But this support from Xbox was not a matter of why, but when. They too have had problems with Apple with their upcoming xCloud service. They had to cut their iOS testing short due to Apple’s policies.

Epic taking them on just gave Xbox a reason to get in a word of their own and join the fight. And interestingly, a lot of big companies have had issues with Apple. Netflix, Spotify, Tinder have all spoken against the App Store’s policies in the past. The 30% cut charged by Apple and Google seems a bit exorbitant and it’s the primary reason Epic raised its voice in the first place.

Even Steam founder Gabe Newell has addressed this in the past.

“If you ask us which is scarier, it’s people falling in love with Apple’s model of controlling everything and having faceless bureaucrats who get to keep your product from entering the market if they don’t want it to, or designing a store in a way that minimises software’s value-add to experience and stuff like that.”

Epic has some big-name allies in its fight against the tech giants. Microsoft is the latest to join forces with them. No matter what the outcome of this trial is, it will be industry defining and will change a lot of things in the tech and gaming industry.