Apple has decided to remove Epic Games’ Fortnite from the App Store. This is done as the developer has implemented its own in-app system of payment on Thursday. This has bypassed the standard 30 percent fee of Apple.
The decision was made due to escalation in the feud between the mobile software market place and Epic. It had come at the time when the iPhone maker was navigating the antitrust concerns over the App Store.
Epic has given its calculated responses. It includes an antitrust lawsuit that seeks to establish the App Store as a monopoly. Fortnite seems to be mocking the iPhone maker’s 1984 ad.
Apple has said that there are plans to “resolve these violations” with Epic but there is no intention to create a “special arrangement” for the company.
Complete Statement
Apple stated to The Verge, “Today, Epic Games took the unfortunate step of violating the App Store guidelines that are applied equally to every developer and designed to keep the store safe for our users. As a result, their Fortnite app has been removed from the store. Epic enabled a feature in its app which was not reviewed or approved by Apple, and they did so with the express intent of violating the App Store guidelines regarding in-app payments that apply to every developer who sells digital goods or services.”
The company further continued, “The open Android ecosystem lets developers distribute apps through multiple app stores. For game developers who choose to use the Play Store, we have consistent policies that are fair to developers and keep the store safe for users,” a Google spokesperson tells The Verge. “While Fortnite remains available on Android, we can no longer make it available on Play because it violates our policies. However, we welcome the opportunity to continue our discussions with Epic and bring Fortnite back to Google Play.”
Epic has designed its approach to provoke Apple. As the in-app payment system would be cheaper. 1,000 V-bucks, which is equivalent to $10 in-game Fortnite currency, will cost just $7.99 if one uses Epic direct payment. Normally, that amount of currency costs $9.99.
