There are few names bigger in the gaming scene these days thanFortnite. While the game often makes headlines for its players or crossovers, recently it’s been because of its developer’s war with Apple. The legal struggle between the two companies has even resulted in the Battle Royale’s predecessor,Fortnite: Save the Worldshutting down on Mac.
The original lawsuit between Epic Games and Apple was issued by Epic Games. It centered around a request Epic had made forFortniteto be exempt from Apple’s iOS storefront policy. This would meanFortnitewould not be subject to Apple’s 3o percent cut from every microtransaction. Apple refused, but Epic Games implemented a way to bypass their fees anyway, resulting inFortnitebeing removed from Apple’s storefront. Google followed suit, and Epic Games sued both.
RELATED:Fortnite Will Be Banned from iOS App Store For a Minimum of a Year
The legal processes have, so far, been somewhat unusual. Most involved are in agreement that it is an important case, and not just for video games. One judge has even suggested thatthe Epic v Apple case should be trial by jury(it currently is not) because of how important it may prove for anti-trust laws. To retaliate against the suit, Apple decided to ban games using Epic’s Unreal Engine from its storefront, but a judge has now ruled against that ban.
The reason given for the ruling on the ban was that it impacted too many developers. While game developers go to Epic Games to buy the Unreal Engine, it is not used exclusively by Epic. It’s a very popular engine, and most games that use it have nothing to do with Epic, Apple, or the lawsuit. The judge saw no reason others should suffer from this suit. It was clearly done to hurt Epic first and foremost, althoughApple also counter-sued Epicalready, so that base is covered.
That said, the judge ruled that Apple’s ban ofFortnitefrom its storefront was justified and would stand. While the judge stated that she “empathized” with players deniedFortniteon iOS, Epic had violated the terms of its agreement. Considering thereaction of Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney to Apple’s countersuit, Epic is prepared to fight to the end forFortnite’s return.
The actual court case over Epic’s suit has not yet occurred, and is slated for January 2021. There is clearly bad blood between the two companies, ifEpic’s Free Fortnite tournamentis any indication.
Fortniteis available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
