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Epic says Apple threatened to cut off its access to all iOS and Mac developer tools in retaliation for introducing a new payment option in Fortnite last week – a stunt that ended in banning the app from the App Store and Epic filing a successful antitrust lawsuit against Apple, claiming it is imposing illegal restrictions on the distribution of iOS applications.
Apple will end Epic’s inclusion in the Apple Developer Program, a subscription required to distribute apps to iOS devices or use Apple developer tools, if the company does not “fix your violations” of the. ‘deal within two weeks, according to a letter from Apple this was shared by Epic. Epic will also not be able to authenticate Mac apps, a process that could make the installation of Epic software more difficult or block it altogether. Apple requires all apps to be notarized before they can run on newer versions of macOS, even if they are distributed outside of the App Store.
Epic has filed for a preliminary injunction against Apple, asking the court to prevent the company from shutting it down. Epic says he will be “irreparably wronged long before the final judgment” if he doesn’t get the injunction. “Apple’s actions will irreparably damage Epic’s reputation among Fortnite users and will spell disaster for the future of the separate Unreal Engine business,” Epic writes. Epic also asks Fortnite – with its reduced prices and its other payment option – be returned to the App Store.
Apple declined to comment on the motion. A company spokesperson pointed to a statement released by Apple last week saying that Epic “took the unfortunate decision to violate App Store guidelines” and that it “would do everything possible to work with it. Epic to resolve these violations ”.
Removing Epic from the development program entirely would be a significant escalation in an already high-stakes battle. The Developer Program is the gateway to releasing apps on Apple’s platforms, and Epic’s ubiquity of Unreal Engine could lead to issues that extend far beyond Epic itself. The Unreal Engine is an extremely popular free-to-play game engine that is widely used by developers – many games in Apple’s Apple Arcade subscription service are based on Unreal Engine, and theoretically these developers would have a hard time creating new ones. iOS games or create updates if Apple cuts access to the software.
Development…
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