Apple Has Blacklisted Epic, Meaning 'Fortnite' Isn't Returning To App Store

Apple and Epic Games, aren't exactly friends right now. The giant tech companies recently went head-to-head in court regard in-app purchases as developers (no matter the size) have had to pay Apple part of the funds they earn through their app store, automatically. At the end of the trial, the court ruled that Apple would have to, from now on, allow developers to provide alternative ways for consumers to pay for their products that don't go through Apple, which sounds like a win for Epic. But Apple obviously isn't happy.

As reported by PC Gamer, Tim Sweeney took to Twitter to reveal that despite the fact that Apply apparently agreed to welcome Epic, and therefore Fortnite, back to the App Store if they agreed to "play by the same rules as everyone else", Apple has blacklisted Fortnite.

Here is the original video Epic Games released, announcing their battle against Apple...

The full set of tweets from the CEO says: "Apple lied. Apple spent a year telling the world, the court, and the press they'd "welcome Epic's return to the App Store if they agree to play by the same rules as everyone else". Epic agreed, and now Apple has reneged in another abuse of its monopoly power over a billion users.

"Just last week, Epic agreed with Apple that we would play by the same rules as everyone else.

"Late last night, Apple informed Epic that Fortnite will be blacklisted from the Apple ecosystem until the exhaustion of all court appeals, which could be as long as a 5-year process."

Sweeney goes on to say that this move is " another extraordinary anticompetitive move by Apple, demonstrating their power to reshape markets and choose winners and losers." He thinks that it's "also a loss for fair competition and consumer choice. The loss of Fortnite as an iOS metaverse competitor alongside Roblox and PUBG Mobile has significant implications for the evolution of the new medium of our era."

The full thread of tweets has been published on the Epic Games website to solidify that the CEO's opinion is echoed by the company. It thinks it's yet another move from Apple to control the market though it might be to the detriment to its own financial gain.

However, for all their objections, the court found that Apple's blacklisting of Epic Games was "valid, lawful, and enforceable" according to the ruling from earlier this year. Epic Game will continue to appeal the ruling from September 10, but it's not clear if we'll see its properties on iOS within the next five years.

Topics: epic games, Fortnite