Fortnite Got Removed From The App Store, As Epic Files Lawsuit Against Apple

Apple has removed the popular battle royale game Fortnite from the App Store following Epic Games, the developer of the highly successful ga...

Apple has removed the popular battle royale game Fortnite from the App Store following Epic Games, the developer of the highly successful game, introduced a new direct payment option, directly violated the App Store's in-app purchase guidelines.

Users can not download Fortnite on their iOS devices for the moment as of writing, and Apple provided a statement to The Verge on Fortnite's removal as saying that Epic enabled a feature in its Fortnite app which was not reviewed or approved by Apple, because of that, Fortnite has been removed from the App Store.

However, Apple said that they will work with Epic to resolve these violations so Fortnite can return to the App Store. In a statement, the Cupertino-based tech firm said:

Epic has had apps on the ‌App Store‌ for a decade, and have benefited from the ‌App Store‌ ecosystem - including it’s tools, testing, and distribution that Apple provides to all developers. Epic agreed to the ‌App Store‌ terms and guidelines freely and we’re glad they’ve built such a successful business on the ‌App Store‌. The fact that their business interests now lead them to push for a special arrangement does not change the fact that these guidelines create a level playing field for all developers and make the store safe for all users. We will make every effort to work with Epic to resolve these violations so they can return Fortnite to the ‌App Store‌.

In response, Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple for pulling Fortnite from the App Store, accusing of them completely monopolize markets, block competition, stifle innovation, and "prevent software developers from reaching the over one billion users of its mobile devices" unless they go through the App Store, where the company takes a 30% cut from app sales and in-app purchases.

Epic Games joins a list of companies including Apple Music rival Spotify and the “Hey” email app that accuses Apple over unfair App Store policies. Apple is also currently facing two antitrust investigations in the EU, as well as one antitrust investigation in its home country.