Epic Games vs. Apple: Event schedule involving the withdrawal of Fortnite from the App Store


In recent months, Apple has faced growing criticism from both developers and regulators over its App Store practises. Fortnite developer Epic Games, which has consistently referred to the App Store as a monopoly, has been an especially outspoken critic.




Apple pulled Fortnite from the App Store in August 2020 after Epic Games launched a direct payment option in the app for its V-Bucks in-game currency, defying the rules of the App Store. Epic Games immediately filed a lawsuit against Apple in what appears to have been a coordinated move, accusing the firm of anti-competitive conduct.

Below, we've put together a timeline of the Epic Games vs. Apple saga

June 16

  • Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, tells The Washington Post that "the monopoly of the iOS App Store protects only benefit from Apple, not computer protection.
  • "Sweeney quotes tweets The storey of the Washington Post:" Apple speaks of a fair playing field here. To me, this means: All iOS developers are free to directly process purchases, all users are free to instal apps from any source. Epic will not pursue or approve a special offer only for ourselves in this endeavour.

June 23

  • "Sweeney tweets:" The best way to maintain a sustainable, safe, and equitable app economy is to open up iOS and Android as fully open platforms with a completely equal playing field between first party and third party apps and stores.

July 24

  • Sweeney informs CNBC that the App Store is a "true monopoly," claiming that by inventing an absolute monopoly on software delivery, on the monetization of software, "Apple has shut down and crippled the ecosystem."

July 28

  • "Sweeney tweets:" It is hard for me to complain in this way about Apple . Apple is one of the biggest corporations ever, maybe the largest. But they are inherently wrong in blocking competition and choice on devices they produce, and that holds up entire fields of technical innovation.
  • "Sweeney tweets:" With these 30 percent store fees, this is a crucial factor. Before financing any developer expenses, they come off the top. As a result, Apple and Google make more profit from the games of most developers than the developers themselves. That is terribly unjust and exploitative.

August 1

  • Sweeney tweets: "The deliberate anti-competitive policy of Apple has been running for far longer than most know. Here they are in 2011 muscling Kindle's iPhone purchases by seeking 30 percent of e-book revenue,' which we understand for many items is prohibitive.'"

August 13

  • In the Fortnite app for iPhone and iPad, Epic Games introduces a direct payment option, enabling players to buy in-game V-Bucks at a 20 percent discount by sidestepping the in-app purchasing process of Apple. This feature contradicts the Apple App Store Review Guidelines, which suggest that in-game currency offering apps must only use Apple's in-app purchasing process.
  • In violation of Google's Play Store rules, the direct payment option is also integrated into the Fortnite app on Android.
  • Epic Games describes the 30 percent reduction of in-app purchases by Apple and Google as "exorbitant." Epic also notes that apps offering real-life products and services such as Uber, DoorDash, and StubHub are not required to use the in-app purchasing mechanism of Apple, a rule that it believes should apply to all developers.


  • Fortnite has been pulled by Apple from the App Store. "The company said in a statement shared with MacRumors that" Epic Games took the unfortunate step of breaching the rules of the App Store that are applied fairly to each developer and intended to keep the store safe for our users. "Below is the full statement. 

    Epic Games today took the unfortunate step of breaking the rules of the App Store that are applied fairly to any developer and designed to keep our users safe from the store. Their Fortnite app was pulled from the store as a result. 
    Epic allowed a feature not checked or accepted by Apple in its app, and they did so with the clear purpose of breaching the in-app payment rules of the App Store that apply to any developer that sells digital products or services.For a decade, Epic has had apps on the App Store and has benefited from the ecosystem of the App Store-including the software, research, and delivery that Apple offers to all developers. Epic voluntarily agreed to the terms and guidelines of the App Store and we are delighted that they have built such a successful company on the App Store. The fact that their commercial interests are now leading them to lobby for a special deal does not alter the fact that these laws provide a fair playing field for both investors and developers.

     

  • "[PDF] against Apple in California, Epic Games files a lawsuit, describing the corporation as a" monopoly force "and accusing it of" unfair and anti-competitive conduct. "The complaint argues that" Apple has become what it once railed against: the giant effort to govern markets, block competition, and stifle innovation.
  • Parodying Apple 's famous "1984" commercial, Epic Games shares a video called "Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite." Although Apple's ad depicted IBM as the "Big Brother" bad, Epic Games aims to demonstrate that the dominant force is now Apple. "The App Store Monopoly has been defied by Epic Games. Apple is banning Fortnite from a billion devices in revenge. Enter the battle to stop '1984' from being 2020."
  • In a blog post, Epic Games invites Fortnite players to use the hashtag # FreeFortnite on social media to fight against Apple's "app levy."
  • Epic Games states in a FAQ that "both mobile developers and users have the ability to select alternative payment providers that charge less, as is the case on all other general-purpose computing platforms, including Web, Windows, and Mac." Epic adds that "Apple also allows Amazon Prime Video to directly process payments as a special offer while keeping other apps to a different level."
  • Spotify sides with Epic Games.
  • Google removes Fortnite from the Play Store.
  • Epic Games files a similar anti-competitive lawsuit against Google.
  • Sweeney tweets: "Apple said Epic is looking for a special offer today, but that's not real. We're fighting for open platforms and regulatory reforms that favour all developers equally. And it's going to be a hell of a battle!"

August 14

  • Sweeney tweets: "We are battling at the most fundamental level for the right of individuals who have purchased smartphones to instal apps from outlets of their choice, the freedom of app developers to distribute them as they want, and the freedom of all groups to do business directly."

August 17

  • Epic Games announces that its Apple Developer Program account will be terminated on August 28, 2020 unless breaches of the Developer Program License Agreement are addressed, including the implementation of new payment features that Apple's App Review team has not applied to or reviewed. Apple says that this will lead to Epic Games losing access to all apps, SDKs, APIs, and developer tools from Apple. Epic Games says it will not produce future versions of its Unreal Engine game without that access Epic Games says it cannot develop future versions of its Unreal Engine game engine for use on iOS or macOS..
  • The data reports that Epic Games is trying to form a "Apple critics' alliance."
  • Apple notes in a statement that "we're not going to make an exception for Epic because we don't think it's fair to place their corporate interests ahead of the laws protecting our customers."

August 20

  • On August 23 for "one more Victory Royale with mates across all platforms," Epic Games announces it is hosting a "# FreeFortnite Cup" tournament.

August 21

  • Apple says in a court filing that on June 30, Epic Games contacted the company asking for a "special offer" that would make its Epic Games Store app on iOS, sidestepping the in-app purchasing process of Apple. If developers may escape the digital checkout, Apple also compares Epic 's actions to shoplifting: "It is the same as if a customer leaves an Apple retail store without paying for a shoplifted product: Apple is not charged."
  • Sweeney tweets: "The statement from Apple is misleading. In the publicly accessible Apple filing, you can read my email. In Epic 's request to the Apple execs, I explicitly said," We hope that Apple will also make these choices available to all iOS developers equally 

August 23

  • Epic Games argues in a court filing that Apple's decision to end its membership of the Developer Program will be "overbroad retribution" and "an unconstitutional move to preserve its monopoly and chill any action by those who might dare to oppose Apple."
  • In support of Epic Games, Microsoft files a declaration in which Xbox gaming manager Kevin Gammill writes that "Apple's discontinuation of the ability of Epic to create and support Unreal Engine for iOS or macOS would hurt game developers and gamers."

August 24

  •  U.S. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers gives a temporary restraining order to prohibit Apple from restricting the access of Epic Games to its Unreal Engine 's development software, but she does not push Apple to return Fortnite to the App Store as of now. The restraining order immediately comes into effect and will remain in force until a final order on the petition for preliminary injunction is issued by the court in September.

August 25

  • We thank the court for recognising that the issue of Epic is largely self-inflicted and is beyond their power to solve. Our first goal is to ensure that users of the App Store have a great experience in a secure and trustworthy environment, including users of iPhones who play Fortnite and who are looking forward to the next season of the game. We agree with Judge Gonzalez-Rogers.

August 26

  • Epic Games reveals that due to the company's legal dispute with Apple, Fortnite's upcoming season will not be available to players on iPhone , iPad, or Mac, prohibiting cross-platform play.

August 27

  • Epic Games emails players noting that "Apple has blocked Fortnite updates on iOS and Mac devices," adding that "Apple limits competition so they can collect 30% of consumer payments made in apps like Fortnite, raising the prices you pay."

August 28

  • Apple terminates Epic Games' developer account tied to Fortnite.

September 4

  • Epic Games files for a preliminary injunction that would both enable Fortnite back on the App Store and restore access to its developer account.

September 8

  • Epic Games, seeking damages for breach of contract, is opposed by Apple. Apple describes Epic Games in its response as a "multi-billion dollar company that simply wants to pay nothing for the enormous value it derives from the" App Store.

September 9

  • Epic Games reveals that as soon as September 11, Apple will no longer allow users to sign into Epic Games accounts using "Sign in with Apple".

September 10

  • Epic says Apple has "given an unlimited extension" to sign in with Apple support, but if Apple disables the feature at any point in the future, Epic also encourages users to transition their accounts to alternative credentials.

September 28

  • US. U.S. Judge Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers recommends that, around July 2021, Apple and Epic Games consider a jury trial.

September 29

  • Apple and Epic Games accept that instead of a jury trial, Epic's allegations and Apple's counterclaims should be heard by a judge with a bench trial.

October 9

  • US. U.S. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers refuses a preliminary injunction from Epic Games, which means that Fortnite will remain inaccessible for the duration of the case on the App Store, assuming that the app fails to breach the App Store Review Guidelines.
As more events unfold in the Epic Games vs. Apple storey, we will keep this timeline updated, so keep this page bookmarked to remain up to date.

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