NEW YORK (US) – Epic Games said on Monday it was exploring ways to prevent Apple Inc’s removal of video game “Fortnite” from its app store, adding that it has asked a judge to prevent retaliatory action against its other games in the store.
Epic CEO Timothy Sweeney said “Fortnite” had 350 million registered users as of June 2020 and if Apple removes it from the app store, then users will not be able to receive updates to play the popular “Battle Royale” mode where up to 100 players can play and the last survivor wins.
“Apple’s actions will ‘break’ Fortnite for millions of existing players,” Sweeney wrote, saying the game is updated every few weeks. “Because iOS users can no longer update the game, they will be unable to play Fortnite with most other players, who will have the then-current version available on other platforms,” he said.
Epic also said that Apple will close all Epic Games’ developer accounts and cut it off from its development tools starting Aug. 28.
Epic also creates tools for game developers such as the Unreal Engine, which enables them to come out with three-dimensional graphics. It is also being used by medical imaging companies and car designers.
Epic said in its filing that if Apple cuts off its access to Apple’s developers, the game developer will not be able to provide Unreal Engine for Mac and iPhone operating systems, affecting hundreds of game titles.
“The effects will reverberate well beyond video games; it will affect developers who use the Unreal Engine on Apple products in many fields,” Epic said in its filing, seeking an order to block the move. “The ensuing impact on the Unreal Engine’s viability, and the trust and confidence developers have in that engine, cannot be repaired with a monetary award.”
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field
