Epic and Apple File New Motions in Court

It’s been ten days since Epic Games went to bat against the mobile marketplace duopoly. Where does the Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite situation stand now?

Epic held the #FreeFortnite cup yesterday, a last hurrah for iOS players. The game doled out virtual and IRL prizes, and explained how users could switch from iOS to Android, PC, or console alternatives.

In court, we haven’t reached reconciliation

Epic and Apple are still litigating the App Store battle.

Last week, Apple asked a judge to swat down Epic’s request for a temporary restraining order that would restore iOS Fortnite on Epic’s terms.Apple said that Epic’s problem was self-inflicted and could be fixed if it updated Fortnite to follow its rules.

• Apple contends that Epic requested a special App Store deal. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney denied that, tweeting June email correspondence with Apple.

Expect more legalese throughout the week

On Friday, Apple is set to revoke Epic’s access to developer tools. That could affect anyone using Epic’s Unreal Engine, a popular tool among game developers and filmmakers.

Yesterday, Epic filed a new motion saying that losing its developer privileges could reverberate among a wider group of game makers. Microsoft, an Unreal Engine user, filed a statement in support of Epic.

• “Ensuring that Epic has access to the latest Apple technology is the right thing for game developers and gamers,” Xbox chief Phil Spencer tweeted.

A story of leverage

As the sole proprietor of the App Store walled garden, Apple determines the rules. Epic breached them, so Fortnite is out.

• Epic’s crusade hasn’t worried investors. Apple’s market cap passed $2 trillion last week, then added another $100 billion.
• As of send time, Apple is worth roughly 123 Epics.

Epic has leverage, too—it’s rallying end users and developers against Apple. An unusual coalition of big names—Spotify, Match Group, Facebook, Microsoft—has lined up behind Epic in one way or another.

Big picture: If Apple pulls iOS support for Unreal Engine, it may affect a wide swath of digital world builders and game developers.