Apple has terminated Fortnite creator Epic Games’ account on its App Store amid a legal battle over the iPhone maker’s in-app payment guidelines and accusations they constitute a monopoly.
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Facebook on Thursday said that Apple rejected its attempt to tell users the iPhone maker would take a 30% cut of sales in a new online events feature, forcing Facebook to remove the message.
Players of the popular game Fortnite on iPhones will not get updates after Epic Games on Wednesday decried Apple’s App Store “monopoly” and said it will not remove a direct payment feature it recently enabled.
Half a decade ago, the billionaire founder of Epic Games sparred with Microsoft over the way the software giant treated small application developers. Now he’s launched a legal broadside against Apple and Google.
Apple was spared from having to immediately reinstate Epic Games’ Fortnite on its App Store, an early court victory for the iPhone maker in an intensifying battle over the tolls charged to app makers.
Microsoft is backing Epic Games in its fight with Apple. The company has been upset with Apple’s rules preventing it from releasing a cloud-gaming service that works with iPads and iPhones.
Apple on Friday alleged that Epic Games’ chief executive had asked it for a “side letter” to create its own game store within the iPhone maker’s App Store.
Apple has failed to adapt to the outsized role it plays in the smartphone market. A dispute with the makers of the popular Fortnite game app brings that failure into the spotlight.
Fortnite creator Epic Games found support from its legions of gamers for suing Apple and Google after the tech giants dropped the popular videogame from their app stores for violating payment guidelines.
Over the past several days, however, videogame developers ranging from Epic Games, Microsoft and Facebook, have ensured that Apple doesn’t dodge scrutiny over its App Store practices and policies.