Apple is out to crush Fortnite and Unreal Engine, says Epic Games. Apple refuses to make an exception

The legal battle between Apple and Epic escalated dramatically over the weekend. What started as an argument about Epic Games that players want to charge instantly for in-game items for their hit game Fortnite, instead of using Apple’s payment system and the commission of up to 30% it costs, has turned into a battlefield that threatens to improve game development in the sector.

After Apple stepped Fortnite and her more than 250 million players of the app store last week, Epic said in a lawsuit filed Monday that the iPhone maker further threatens to ban the Unreal Engine code it offers to game developers outside to help them make apps of their own.

“Not content just to remove Fortnite from the App Store, Apple is targeting Epic’s entire business in unrelated areas,” Epic said in its submission, adding that Apple has set a August 28 deadline. “If the Unreal Engine can no longer support Apple platforms, the software developers who use it will be forced to use alternatives.”

Epic is in a similar lawsuit against Google, which Fortnite also shut down its app store Thursday for trying to overhaul its payment system.

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Apple noted in a statement late Monday that Epic “has been one of the most successful developers in the App Store”, and wants it to remain at its service. To do so, however, Apple said Epic Fortnite would have to revert to an earlier version of the game in order to “comply with the guidelines agreed upon by all developers.” That includes how Epic collects money from gamers.

“We will not make an exception for Epic because we do not think it is right to put their business interests first for the guidelines that protect our customers,” added an Apple spokeswoman.

You can see the case of Epic with Apple as well a business shrinkage between two multibillion-dollar companies, and the drama certainly feels like it. Epic even launched a video parody of Apple’s famous Super Super Bowl Macintosh ad from 1984, which portrayed the game maker as the battle for the powerful tech giant. Epic even asked users to tweet the hashtag #FreeFortnite, which shot to the top trending item worldwide on Twitter within an hour of the video’s release.

Despite the antics, Epic claims that its pressure to charge customers directly into Fortnite for in-game items is an attempt to loosen Apple’s grip on its app store and the more than 1 billion devices it uses. Now, with Apple’s threat to punish outside app developers using Epic’s Unreal Engine, Epic says the iPhone maker is also threatening its business model.

Apple says meanwhile his fees of up to 30% are reasonable compared to its peers, and it even hired a team of outside economists to prove it. Apple’s also claimed the commissions it charges for in-app purchases in part to pay for the app store’s operations and further development. The notable exception on his peers list is Epic, which costs 12% for developers who sell titles on them Epic games store for PCs.

The European Union Apple investigates 30% commission after music streaming service, Spotify has filed a complaint.

Apple leaves users alone install apps from its app storeand lists the tests for security and reliability for each app that ensures their safety. Devices powered by Google’s Android software can use Google’s app store, but the company also offers a way around Install Fortnite manually without having to go through the app store. People who installed Fortnite on their iPhones, iPads and other devices before the app was banned until now can continue the game.

Epic asked the court on Monday for a preliminary injunction in her case pending legal battle with Apple, substantially allowing Fortnite to be left in the app store until the legal process closes. According to court records, Apple has not yet responded.