Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, on Wednesday said that Apple has barred Fortnite from the App Store until all court appeals in its legal battle have ended, a process which could take years.
“Late last night, Apple informed Epic that Fortnite will be blacklisted from the Apple ecosystem until the exhaustion of all court appeals, which could be as long as a 5-year process,” Sweeney wrote in a tweet, with an image of a letter from Apple’s lawyers.
Late last night, Apple informed Epic that Fortnite will be blacklisted from the Apple ecosystem until the exhaustion of all court appeals, which could be as long as a 5-year process. pic.twitter.com/QCD7wogJef
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 22, 2021
The case first began in August 2020, when Epic Games updated its iOS app to allow players to bypass Apple’s in-app payment processor and instead pay the gaming company directly. The iPhone maker then removed Fortnite from the App Store and filed a lawsuit against Epic Games.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rewarded Epic with a win after issuing a permanent injunction that allows developers to inform users of alternative methods of payment within apps. The court did, however, side with Apple on all other aspects of the lawsuit, ordering Epic Games to pay damages equivalent to 30% of the $12.1 million USD in revenue the developer accumulated through its Fortnite app on iOS.
Sweeney on Wednesday also shared an email he sent to the head of Apple’s App Store, Phil Schiller, on September 16, inquiring about the reactivation of Epic’s Fortnite developer account. “Epic will resubmit Fortnite to the App Store if you adhere to the plain language of the court order and allow apps to include buttons and external links that direct customers to other purchasing mechanisms without onerous terms or impediments to a good user experience,” Sweeney wrote.
Sweeney said he received news that Apple would not allow Fortnite back on the App Store on Tuesday evening.
Just last week, Epic agreed with Apple that we would play by the same rules as everyone else. pic.twitter.com/WOxsbnAFXE
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 22, 2021
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