Apple threatens to terminate Epic Games developer accounts on August 28

Apple plans to end Epic Games’ full access to its App Store and app development tools, Epic Games said today. Apple told Epic that by August 28 all access will be over.

This includes Epic’s access to the developer tools needed to create software for Unreal Engine that Epic offers to third-party developers for their games. In response, Epic filed a court order asking a northern California court to prevent Apple from removing access to Epic’s App Store. [PDF] From the deposit:

He told Epic that by August 28, Apple will cut Epic’s access to all of the developer tools needed to create software for Apple’s platforms – including Unreal Engine Epic offerings at third-party developers, which Apple has never claimed to violate any Apple policy.

Cutting off Epic’s access to Mac and iOS developer tools could have a significant impact on all apps and games that use Epic’s Unreal Engine. Apple, in its letter to Epic Games informing it of upcoming account closings, indicates that Epic can avoid having its access revoked by following guidelines from the Apple App Store. From Apple’s letter to Epic:

Upon further examination of the activity associated with your membership in the Apple Developer Program, we have identified several violations of the Apple Developer Program license agreement. Therefore, your Apple Developer Program account will be terminated if the violations set out below are not resolved within 14 days. […]

If your subscription is terminated, you can no longer submit applications to the “App Store” and your applications still available for distribution will be deleted. You will also lose access to the following programs, technologies and capabilities:

– All Apple software, SDK, API and development tools
– Preliminary versions of iOS, iPad OS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS
– Preliminary versions of beta tools such as Reality Composer, Create ML, Apple Configurator, etc.
– Notarization service for macOS applications
– ‌App Store‌ Connect platform and support (e.g. account transition assistance, password reset, app name issues)
– Test flight
– Access to the procurement portal for the generation of certificates and the generation of procurement profiles
– Ability to activate Apple services in the app (i.e. Apple Pay, CloudKit, PassKit, Music Kit, HomeKit, Push Notifications, Siri Shortcuts, Sign in with Apple, kernel extensions, FairPlay Streaming)
– Access to keys issued by Apple to connect to services such as MusicKit, DeviceCheck, APN, CloudKit, Wallet
– Access to developer ID signing certificates and kernel extension signing certificates
– Developer technical support
– Participation in the Universal App Quick Start Program, including the right to use the Developer Transition Kit (which must be returned to Apple)
– Engineering efforts to improve Unreal Engine hardware and software performance on Mac and iOS hardware; optimize Unreal Engine on Mac for creative workflows, virtual assemblies and their CI / Build systems; and adoption and support of ARKit features and future VR features in Unreal Engine by their XR team

We hope that you will be able to remedy your violations of the Apple Program License Agreement and continue to participate in the Program.

Epic is asking the court to prevent Apple from taking “any adverse action” against it, including restricting, suspending or terminating Epic’s access to the Apple Developer Program. Epic is also asking the court to prevent Apple from removing, canceling the listing, refusing to list or making the Fortnite app unavailable, or changing the Fortnite code.

The dispute between Apple and Epic began last week when Epic made the calculated decision to defy Apple’s App Store rules and introduce a direct payment option for in-game currency in Fortnite, bypassing the system. Apple’s in-app purchase.

Apple reacted quickly by removing the Fortnite app from the “App Store,” which prompted Epic Games to take pre-planned legal action against Apple accusing the Cupertino company of being a “monster seeking to control markets, to block competition and stifle innovation “and to impose” anti-competitive restrictions “and use” monopoly practices in markets “against” App Store “developers.

Epic also released an anti-Apple video based on Apple’s famous 1984 ad, which encourages people to “join the fight to prevent 2020 from becoming 1984”.