[ad_1]
Apple has terminated game developer Epic’s App Store account as the two companies continue their legal fight over rules for apps on iOS and iPadOS, particularly the 30% cut Apple takes from any payment.
You may have noticed, or maybe the kids did at home, that Fornite has already been removed from the App Store for violating in-app payment policies, and now Epic Games has completely disappeared from the portal.
It means that other Epic titles like Battle Breakers and Infinity Blade can no longer be downloaded to your iPhone or iPad, although they will continue to work if you already have them installed.
The same applies to Fortnite – if you installed the game before this storyline began, it will continue to work. However, you will not be able to update the game as is, and that means there is no new content within the game.
The story so far
Epic Games says Apple’s 30% payment cut is unreasonable, and that Apple can only take advantage of it because it has a monopoly on iOS apps. The studio deliberately got angry at Apple earlier this month by introducing a direct payment option that bypassed Apple.
Apple, for its part, argues that it deserves a portion of the revenue from other apps because of the services it provides in terms of app approvals and promotions. Makes the iPhone so you can set the rules is part of Apple’s argument.
Now the two companies are involved in a legal fight over the problem that will not be resolved soon. Apple says it will allow Epic Games titles on the App Store in the meantime, if they abide by the rules, but so far Epic isn’t backing down.
In a statement to MacRumors, Apple said it was “disappointed” to have to take the move, something it threatened to do a few days ago. This isn’t just about Apple and Epic though, as the case has raised all kinds of questions about how Apple and Google app stores should be allowed to operate.
