Termination of Epic Developer Account also removed other games from the App Store, including some that Apple previously used to showcase its development platforms. The judge is already rfound out that Apple can’t get rid of Unreal Engine altogether from its platform., for now, and Epic is now pushing to reclaim the lost access while the antitrust case against Apple continues.
Epic Games said in a statement: “Today we are asking the court to stop Apple from retaliating against Epic for daring to challenge Apple’s misconduct while our antitrust case is pending. Apple is a monopoly, and countering them is a necessary step in freeing consumers and developers from the illegal restrictions that Apple has placed on app distribution and in-app payment processing on iOS. For too long, developers have been silent for fear of Apple retribution. The company’s recent actions show that if you challenge Apple’s monopoly, Apple will try to destroy your business. We strive to speak openly and provide cheaper and more competitive access for everyone. ”
You can read FAQ here and an 182-page archive Here (PDF), which includes emails from CEO Tim Sweeney to Apple, as well as responses from Apple’s legal department claiming his stance is protecting consumers.
According to Sweeney in a subsequent email, “If Apple ever decides to go back to its roots by creating open platforms where consumers can freely install software from sources of their choice and developers can connect with consumers and conduct business directly without intermediation then Epic will do it. once again be an ardent supporter of Apple. Until then, Epic is in significant disagreement with Apple’s policies and practices, and we will continue to pursue this as we have done in the past to address other inequities in our industry. ”
Many groups look from the outside, including indie developers who rely on Epic development tools, services looking to run cloud gaming apps that run on iOS, and other developers who also need some flexibility in dealing with a 30 percent drop in app store revenue. For now, the only thing that seems certain is that it won’t go away anytime soon – a sad state of affairs for the players most recently mentioned in the PDF, who posted comments pleading for the opportunity to play. Fortnite back on iOS.
