The battle of words between Apple and Epic Games over in-app Fortnite purchases continues. In a statement shared with Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple said that “we won’t make an exception for Epic because we don’t think it’s right to put their business interests ahead of the guidelines that protect our customers.”
Apple’s full statement:
The App Store is designed to be a safe and trusted place for users and a great business opportunity for all developers. Epic has been one of the most successful developers on the App Store, growing into a multibillion dollar business that reaches millions of iOS customers around the world. We very much want to keep the company as part of the Apple Developer Program and their apps on the Store. The problem Epic has created for itself is one that can easily be remedied if they submit an update of their app that reverts it to comply with the guidelines they agreed to and which apply to all developers. We won’t make an exception for Epic because we don’t think it’s right to put their business interests ahead of the guidelines that protect our customers.
Apple last week removed Fortnite from the App Store, just hours after Epic Games debuted a new direct payment option to get around Apple’s in-app purchases rules that give the Cupertino firm a 30% cut of the action. Epic Games immediately filed a lawsuit against Apple for pulling Fortnite from the App Store.
Apple yesterday informed Fortnite publisher Epic Games it will terminate the company’s complete access to its App Store and app development tools. Epic Games today said that Apple told it that on August 28, all access will be terminated.
The termination will also end Epic’s access to the development tools it uses to create software for the Unreal Engine it offers to third-party developers for use in their games. That move could have a significant impact on all of the Mac and iOS apps and games that use Epic’s Unreal Engine.
Epic has responded to Apple’s move by filing a court order in a Nothern California court to prevent Apple from removing Epic’s access to the App Store.