DEV Community

Cover image for Apple has banned Fortnite, Epic Games is filing a lawsuit
Ben Halpern
Ben Halpern Subscriber

Posted on

Apple has banned Fortnite, Epic Games is filing a lawsuit

Apple just kicked Fortnite off the App Store

Epic Games was clearly ready for a fight, with a video mocking Apple's 1984... Really well executed.

This is a continuation of the open dicussion mostly kicked off by Basecamp. Apple mostly shrugged that off, but this could shape up to be a big ordeal for the future of platform businesses and antitrust in general.

Top comments (19)

Collapse
 
adamgreenough profile image
Adam Greenough • Edited

Worth noting that Epic totally baited Apple in to banning them and were 100% expecting this outcome to kick-off a fight.

While I believe Apple's cut is a little cheeky and their terms slightly unfair, I just can't see this kind of premeditated attack working out well for Epic. Only winners here are gonna be their lawyers.

Collapse
 
jonathanyeong profile image
Jonathan Yeong

Epic games immediately filed a 65 page lawsuit against apple: cdn2.unrealengine.com/apple-compla...

100% premeditated. They were ready to start this fight.

Collapse
 
andrewbaisden profile image
Andrew Baisden

Yes I noticed that the document is huge thats a lot of paperwork.

Collapse
 
akashkava profile image
Akash Kava

I think it is time everyone does the same, 30% pay cut is highest, even govt does not charge 30% on turnover, you get to subtract the cost. No body in industry is charging more than average 4% except for high risk transactions such as gambling and other naughty business.

No one is interested in paying Apple's pay cut happily, tomorrow Apple will charge everybody extra money to view your own email (hey.com ?? ), or you do anything. It has to end. And it is beginning of Apple's end. There is already Antitrust hearing going on and I believe it is best time to throw many lawsuits at Apple.

Nobody builds a business with huge investment to pay of 30% to some company just because they provide device. Apple is already charging developers for developer account and publishing the app.

Collapse
 
jnunez166 profile image
jnunez166

Except that everyone pays 30% on the following stores: Google Play, Steam, Xbox, Playstation and Nintendo. The last 3 have dev kits that cost thousands and release fees. Disc printing fees, review processes, etc.

Collapse
 
akashkava profile image
Akash Kava

Game consoles aren’t general purpose computers, and mobile phones are categorized as general purpose device same as computer. If you don’t want to pay for XBox fees or any other fees, you can still release your game as downloadable product on computer OS.

Thread Thread
 
jnunez166 profile image
jnunez166

"general purpose device" is not a legal classification. Also just because it's a general purpose device doesn't mean that it is legally open for anyone to use. Apple never touted it as a open device with multiple stores and then take away the ability like Sony did with the PS3 and loading Linux on to it. If a developer doesn't like the terms then they have multiple options for their game. If the game is mobile only they can go Android or Switch.

Thread Thread
 
akashkava profile image
Akash Kava

People don't buy it as a game console, it is a general purpose device, it is advertised as a phone not a game console with specific market. No body needs to pay Apple 30% of their business just because end user uses an iPhone.

Thread Thread
 
jnunez166 profile image
jnunez166

No definition for "general purpose device" (maybe on someone's blog) but that won't hold in a legal system. There was always 1 store in the iOS ecosystem. People didn't buy an iPhone to have a choice in stores. It's not even a feature advertised on Android. Everybody pays at least 30% in many stores throughout the planet. Epic is the hypocite for doing this only for their mobile games where they make less money than their console games then trying to make it look like they are fighting for the gamers. Epic pays the same percentage on Sony, Nintendo and Xbox. On those consoles they did squat.

Collapse
 
michaeltharrington profile image
Michael Tharrington

Wow, this will be fun to watch! 🍿

Collapse
 
somedood profile image
Basti Ortiz

*drama intensifies*

Collapse
 
shadowtime2000 profile image
shadowtime2000

Google also pulled Fortnite from Google Play, or so I have heard.

Collapse
 
theshikharmalik profile image
Shikhar Malik

No, Fortnite was actually never available on google play store. You have to manually download their apk launcher app from their own website

Collapse
 
shadowtime2000 profile image
shadowtime2000

Epic Games pulled Fortnite from the Google Play Store in 2018 but I believe it was added back until the new direct payment feature was added.

Collapse
 
jnunez166 profile image
jnunez166

It was available until yesterday.

web.archive.org/web/20200629185355...

Collapse
 
schlauchbootpirat profile image
Schlauchbootpirat ("dinghy pirate")

Fortnite has resulted in months of really poor quality of life in our family so I appreciate anyone who bans it.

Collapse
 
trollboy_j profile image
Jacko

Certified bruh moment.

Collapse
 
liviufromendtest profile image
Liviu Lupei

This is insane.
I'm wondering if there was also an option for a Class Action Lawsuit in this case.

Collapse
 
sirseanofloxley profile image
Sean Allin Newell

So it continues.