Escalation of the Battle Between Apple and Epic Games

Escalation of the Battle Between Apple and Epic Games
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Epic Games filed an injunction against Apple in an attempt to block the termination of its developer accounts. After initial clash over in-game payments, relationship between two companies disintegrated further.

Fortnite maker said in a statement that the latest legal action followed a notification Apple planned to terminate Epic Games’ developer accounts on 28 August. This would cut it off from accessing tools needed to provide games and services compatible with iOS or Mac systems. It argued the move would cause irreparable harm to its business, with new users unable to download games and no updates available to existing players. Restrictions would also hit its Unreal Engine, a series of tools and software used by third parties to create games and broadcast effects.

In its lawsuit, the company added: “These harms to users, developers, Epic’s reputation and the ongoing vitality of Epic’s Unreal Engine business, are difficult if not impossible to quantify, and damages cannot adequately remedy them.“ Epic Games also reiterated its confidence in winning its other case against Apple, filed in the wake of the removal of Fortnite from the App Store due to a violation of terms around discount direct payments. Similar action was taken against Google, which removed the game from the Play Store on the same grounds.

Apple said the issue could easily be remedied if Epic Games reverted to complying with payment policies on the App Store. The company also reiterated there would be no exception made for the company. Epic Games is not the only company critical of Apple’s policies, though few have tried to grab the public’s support to the same level. Alongside its legal cases and making damning media statements, the games company released a parody of Apple’s 1984 Macintosh Computer advert. The Epic Games version urges views to support its campaign to make Fortnite available again.