Epic victory over Apple: court orders iOS to open up to alternative payments, and Fortnite may return next week
The long-running legal battle between Epic Games and Apple may finally be coming to an end, and Fortnite fans on iOS have received a ray of hope. The US judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered Apple to lift its restrictions on alternative payment methods, which instantly prompted Epic Games to offer to end the legal proceedings and bring the popular battle royale to Apple devices.
Here's What We Know
On Wednesday, Judge Rogers ordered Apple to stop charging a 27% commission on purchases made in iOS games and apps through web links that developers used to bypass App Store payment systems. In addition, the judge ordered Apple to stop displaying messages discouraging users from using web links for purchases and ordered Apple to pay Epic Games legal fees. But most importantly, the judge found Apple in violation of the 2021 injunction and stated that the company's Vice President Alex Roman "blatantly lied under oath", which could now lead to criminal contempt of court charges.
Immediately after the ruling was announced, Epic Games claimed victory. The company said that if Apple agrees to apply the ruling globally, it will drop all current and future litigation, including the fight to launch its own iOS store, and will bring Fortnite back to the platform next week.
At a press briefing following the announcement, a transcript of which was published by The Game Business, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said: "We've been one of Apple's best partners for more than a decade, from releasing Infinity Blade for iOS and providing great support for the Unreal Engine, right up until we fought them in 2020. A great decade of partnership. We hope that now that the law is clear and Apple's legal obligations under these consumer protection laws have been made clear, and now that the court is forcing Apple to comply with them, we hope to settle our dispute. I fought Apple for a long time. But I am an iPhone customer. It's a great device. I love using it. I don't like Apple's store policies, but Epic has a lot of respect for Apple's product quality and focus. I hope Apple can get back on the right side of history. I think it's a great time for Apple to do that."
Source: The Game Business
