Epic Games and Apple have returned from the courts again! We explain the court rulings and things do not look great for Fortnite iOS Mobile as we continue to follow this story.
What started as a sneak attack from Epic Games on Apple, a trick that let customers dodge Apple’s 30% cut on all in-app purchases, has now turned into an all-out legal battle. Many news outlets have picked up this story, even non-gaming websites, and are calling this the anti-trust case of 2020.
Simply put: does Apple have the right to charge all companies, big and small, a 30% fee for using the App Store which is the sole means of distribution on the iPhone. The answer to that question will have to wait as lawyers and legal experts are rethinking the bigger questions in our growing digital economy.
However, we all only have small answers today: Sorry Fortniters, no iOS Fortnite for you!
It does not appear that Fortnite will return to mobile iOS in the near future or possibly ever. The judge has sided with Apple over removing Fortnite from the App Store and will not force apple to reinstate it. Judge Rogers, really disliked Epic Game’s dishonesty in the whole #SaveFortnite media push:
You did something, you lied about it by omission, by not being forthcoming. That’s the security issue! There are a lot of people in the public who consider you guys heroes for what you guys did, but it’s still not honest.
You know, judges are kind of sticklers for honesty! The judge did however decided that Apple cannot remove the Unreal Engine tool from the development side of the store as this would harm “bystanders” and stifle the market for other gaming companies. The judge ultimately mentioned that a trial by jury should decide this case.
Epic Games and Apple are at liberty to litigate this action for the future of the digital frontier, but their dispute should not create havoc to bystanders. Thus, the public interest weighs overwhelmingly in favor of Unreal Engine and the Epic Affiliates. It is important enough to understand what real people think, Do these security issues concern people or not?
A trial by jury takes a very long time to make its way through the American legal system so we are probably looking at a trail next summer. Unless Epic suddenly plays nice with Apple and Tim Sweeny kisses Tim Cook’s ring, there will be no Fortnite on the iPhone. It is possible we are reaching the stage of a closed room deal. Jury trials are essentially pandora’s box and it is possible that both companies want to avoid that. You never really know who will be on a jury, so you can just imagine a bunch of non-gamers deciding the fate of all video game microtransactions. Once a jury makes a ruling, it now Case Law and that can be used as precedent on every other similar legal case in the future, a pervertible "You think you do, but you don’t."
Once again, sorry Fortnite mobile players! It looks like it is time to trade in your Apple for a Samsung because the battle of the Tims wages on!
EarlyGame is here with all the big news in gaming and esports. And you can check out more articles on this legal battle’s history like Apple vs. Epic: The Trial of a Generation and Apple vs Epic Games: Legal Battle Explained.