Fortnite players in the EU and U.S. faced a major setback Friday as Apple blocked access to the popular game on iPhones. Epic Games confirmed the global unavailability until Apple reverses its decision, reigniting their years-long legal feud over app store policies. 💥
The clash stems from Apple’s 30% commission on in-app purchases, which Epic claims violates antitrust rules. 🛑💰 In a fiery court filing, Epic accused Apple of 'blatant retaliation' for challenging its practices, demanding a judge hold the tech giant in contempt.
Apple countered that it asked Epic to remove a U.S.-specific storefront from its update to avoid affecting other regions. 'We didn’t remove Fortnite from alternative marketplaces,' a spokesperson stated. 🤖
This isn’t their first rodeo: Apple banned Fortnite in 2020 but allowed its return in Europe last year under EU pressure. The Digital Markets Act forced Big Tech to loosen app distribution rules, leading Apple to approve Epic’s marketplace app there. 🌍⚖️
With millions of players hooked on Fortnite’s battle royale action since 2017, the stakes are high. Will this digital showdown end with a victory royale for developers or platform giants? Stay tuned. 🔥
