Apple and Google Remove Epic Game’s Fortnite From Their Stores

Now, they’re being sue by the video game company.

The fight between Epic Games and Apple is turning nastier day by day as legal actions have been taken and Epic Games has not only to take on Apple, but also its new allies, Google Play and Samsung Store. Here are all the dirty deets.

 

The fight began on Thursday when Epic Games allowed players to pay the company directly for V-Bucks in the Fortnite app and bypassed the payment methods in both apps (android and iOS). Usually, Apple and Google take a cut of transactions that are filed through their app stores. Epic Games encouraged users to pay directly by offering a lucrative 20% discount.

 

Obviously, Apple and Google Play couldn’t digest this move. As per an estimate, Apple has accrued about AUD 500 million in revenue since March 2018 for iOS Fortnite transactions. So, Apple removed the game from the store citing violation of App Store guidelines and highlighted that the apps which use the in-game currency for real money can’t go for a direct payment method. Google followed suit in a matter of hours and removed Fortnite from Google Play store.

 

Epic Games didn’t like these moves and launched lawsuits against Apple and Google. The company said that it has “taken legal action to end Apple’s anti-competitive restrictions on mobile device marketplaces.”

 

The latest twist in the tale came when Fortnite was removed from Samsung Galaxy Store as well. It’s clear that Samsung has picked Apple and Google as allies in the war against Epic Games. This nasty fight amongst such big brands reiterates the fact that it boils down to who owns the market, not just who owns the product.

 

This drama of lawsuits between Apple, Google Play and Epic Games would likely continue for the next few days or weeks depending on whether a compromise is reached.

 

Interestingly, it isn’t the first time Fortnite has been removed from Google Play Store. Epic Games had removed it in 2018 and distributed it directly but returned to the platform in April 2020 as Google makes it harder for software downloads which are taking place outside of its ecosystem.