Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store last Thursday. The decision came after Epic Games started to allow players from buying V-bucks directly in-game.
The Cupertino-based company has its own payment gateway for apps in the App Store. For every purchase, Apple is taking a 30% pay cut.
Fortnite changed its price plan recently. All platforms get a 20% discount on V-bucks purchased.
However, for mobile players, the discount only applies through the “Epic direct purchase” option. Epic is doing this to avoid the pay cut in the App Store.
In return, Apple has removed Fortnite from the App Store. The digital store has its own set of guidelines. This includes the clause that all mobile payments must be done through Apple’s rules.
The Apple guidelines state, “if you want to unlock features or functionality within your app, (by way of example: subscriptions, in-game currencies, game levels, access to premium content, or unlocking a full version), you must use in-app purchase.”
But that is not the case with every app. Some apps in the App Store such as Amazon, Grubhub, and Best Buy all have direct payments.
This is the argument that Epic has presented.
“We think all developers should be free to support direct payments in all apps,” said Epic.
Epic Games CEO criticizes excessive fees
Tim Sweeney, Epic Games CEO, has criticized the App Store fees back then. He continues to do so until now.
The CEO recently tweeted that Apple “has gone crazy.” He further set an instance where online classes must give way to a 30% pay cut.
Apple has gone crazy. If colleges hold virtual classes through an iPhone app, Apple could demand 30% of the tuition. Truly, Apple has no right to take any percent of any company’s revenue just because they made the phone people use to access the stuff.https://t.co/Pt2JlS4bvo
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) July 28, 2020
Apple is not the only one who banned Epic Games. Fortnite is also out of the Google Play Store as of the moment.
Images used courtesy of Kate Krav-Rude/Shutterstock, Fortnite/Epic Games