Epic Games launched its legal fight against Apple after its hit battle royale title Fortnite was pulled from the iPhone App Store in 2020. This ban prevents 116 million of its 350 million players from accessing game updates, for which Epic took the match to US and Australian courts to see it lifted. Epic reportedly broke deals with Apple after allowing players to purchase VBucks, paid in-game currency, through non-App Store channels, avoiding the need to give the tech giant a revenue cut. While it sounds like Epic is looking for more than just bringing Fortnite back to iPhones, this test has the potential to see Apple's walled garden platforms finally open. Alternatively, game developers using Unreal Engine to build their apps could be left behind if Epic loses access to Apple's ecosystem entirely. Want to learn more about Epic Games vs Apple, including court dates, the latest details, and what the results could mean for your favorite games? So keep reading.
What is each side saying?
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(Image credit: Epic Games) Epic Games has expressed its displeasure with Apple's current App Store policies. The entire #FreeFortnite campaign started due to a protest against the 30% reduction in App Store purchases. Epic argues that these policies are restrictive and goes further to claim that Apple's walled garden iPhone platform has led to an effective monopoly. The Fortnite developer would love to launch a rival app store on Apple devices and pave the way for other non-App Store routes on the iPhone. Apple, on the other hand, argues that its platform is fair and that Epic violated agreements it had with Apple by updating Fortnite without permission to avoid sharing a portion of the V-Bucks revenue with them. This violation could not only keep Fortnite off iPhone devices if the court upholds Apple's decision, but it could also remove any games built using the Unreal Engine (the popular game engine owned by Epic Games). The stakes are high depending on the outcome of each trial.
When are the trials held?
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(Image credit: Apple) The two companies will meet in US court on May 3, 2021. That's sooner than expected, but it still comes about nine months after Epic filed a lawsuit against Apple. in August 2020. The Australia-based trial, by contrast, has yet to announce a date. Epic launched a case against the tech giant in November 2020. Although it's a different court system in a different country, due to the delay in the US case, Epic won't go to court in Australia until September 2021 or beyond. At this point, they can have a verdict in the US case, either for better or worse.
What do the tests mean for Fortnite and other games?
There is a possibility that the final verdicts of each case will maintain the current situation, Fortnite cannot be played directly on Apple devices, but other games made by Unreal Engine may remain. But what if Epic Games succeeds? If Epic wins, they hope they can launch their own version of the App Store on iPhone. Think of it like Steam and the Epic Games store on PC, rather than having to download a game from just one store, gamers are free to use. However, some games may be exclusive to only one store. Epic's App Store could also double as its PC game, giving developers who use it a bigger share of revenue than other outlets. Since Epic's fight with Apple started because of Apple's 30% cut, it's likely that Epic wants to take less stock through its own store (perhaps 12% to match the Epic Games store on PC).
What has happened so far?
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(Image credit: Epic Games) Although the trial hasn't started yet, some progress has already been made. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is presiding over the case in the United States, has rejected Epic's request that Fortnite be hosted on iOS pending trial results. However, Judge Rogers ruled that Apple could not terminate Epic's developer accounts, allowing Epic to continue to support the Unreal engine on iOS and macOS systems. Without this decision, many other developers might have been forced to shut down Apple devices until they implemented a new engine. We also know some details about the US trial, such as that it will be a bench trial (so there will be no jury and the judge will decide) after Epic Games and Apple demand that the matter be handled this way. Finally, Judge Rogers said that a key aspect of her review of the case will be Epic's ability to separate the App Store from other digital stores such as Xbox Live, PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop. Otherwise, she said, her decision could have significant ramifications for Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft.