Apple removes Fortnite from the App Store after Epic added its own purchase system
Apple has quite strict rules when it comes to App Store, so developers who want their apps on the iOS ecosystem must respect Apple’s policies. That’s one of the reasons Microsoft couldn’t bring its upcoming Project xCloud streaming service to iOS and, more recently, why Apple has removed Fortnite from the App Store.
Epic Games introduced earlier today its own purchase system for Fortnite on Android and iOS, which will skirt Apple and Google’s 30% fee on every purchase made through its app stores.
The company announced a permanent discount on V-bucks, the in-game currency Fortnite is using to buy cosmetics, as well as other cash purchases in the game of up to 20%. In a statement published today, Epic Games said that these are the new prices for Fortnite’s currency on mobile since it introduced its own purchase system that won’t go through either the App Store or Google Play Store.
Basically, this means that Epic Games no longer pays 30% fees for each transaction it makes in Fortnite through App Store or Google Play Store. As such, the company decided to offer what would have been paid to Apple and Google to the players in the form of a permanent discount on V-bucks.
Unfortunately, the move didn’t remain unsanctioned by Apple, as the company decided to completely remove Fortnite from the App Store just hours after Epic Games added its purchase system in the game.
The way Epic Games decided to get around App Store’s fees probably infuriate some people at Apple, which decided to show them otherwise. In a statement for The Verge, Apple claims that the reason it removed Fortnite from the App Store is that Epic Games rolled out an update for the game without getting permission from Apple. The update introduces the changes to the payment system that we’ve detailed above and would’ve probably rejected by Apple.
No room for negotiations
Fortnite would’ve have been the only app that features its own payment system. Other apps like Best Buy, Uber, and a lot of others don’t pay the 30% fee to Apple for transactions and are allowed to operate normally.
It’s not surprising that Epic Games’ move comes only days after Microsoft complained about Apple’s strict App Store rules. It looks like several giants that do business with Apple are starting to show their discontent about the way the Cupertino-based company chose to treat their successful products. It’s like Apple wants a piece of everyone else’s pies at any cost, even if that means losing some customers in the long run.
Source: Phonearena
Comments