FORTNITE removed from App Store and Play Store

 Epic Games’ immensely popular battle royale game Fortnite was removed by Apple from the App Store on Thursday. The move came soon after the developer pushed an update for Fortnite that allowed users to directly pay Epic for in-app purchases instead of use Apple’s system. Google later joined Apple and also pulled the sport from the Play Store for violating the company’s in-app payment guidelines, The Verge reports. Now, Epic Games is suing both Apple and Google over anti-competitive behaviour. 

“Apple has become what it once railed against: the behemoth seeking to regulate markets, block competition, and stifle innovation. Apple is greater , more powerful, more entrenched, and more pernicious than the monopolists of yesteryear,” Epic said in its lawsuit.

Apple takes anywhere between 15 percent to 30 percent cut for many app subscriptions and in-app purchases. Similarly, Google also takes a 30 percent cut. To bypass this fee, Fortnite received an update that allowed users to directly pay Epic Games for in-app purchases at a lower cost compared to buying through the App Store or Play Store. Following the removal of the sport , Epic Games not only filed a lawsuit, but also aired a video on YouTube and within Fortnite that mocks Apple’s iconic “1984” ad and calls out the tech giant on monopolistic grounds. 

Apple in its statement said, “Today, Epic Games took the invalid step of violating the guidelines that are applied equally to each developer and designed to stay the App Store safe for our users. As a result their Fortnite app has been moved from the App Store . Epic enabled a feature in its app which wasn't reviewed or approved by Apple, and that they did so with the express intent of violating the App Store guidelines regarding in-app payments that apply to each developer who sells digital goods or services.”

Google also released a press release on the matter. “The open Android ecosystem lets developers spread their apps through multiple app stores. For game developers who prefer to use the Play Store, we've consistent policies that are fair to developers and keep the shop safe for users. While Fortnite remains available on Android, we will not make it available on Play because it violates our policies. However, we welcome the chance to continue our discussions with Epic and convey Fortnite back to Google Play.”

The Cupertino giant says it hopes to resolve the matter with Epic Games, but won't make any “special arrangement” for the corporate , The Verge reports. While Fortnite can't be downloaded on iOS immediately , Android users can install the sport directly from the web site .