Epic Games Lost To Apple, Fortnite Game Failed To Return To The App Store

Gim Fortnite (Image Credit: Joshua Hoehne / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The feud between Epic Games and Apple continues at court. Through an online trial, the court gave Apple a restraining order, or a suspension, regarding developers using the Unreal Engine.

Launching from the BGR page, District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers suspended Apple's plan to block all Unreal Engine applications on their platform. Because, this tool is still widely used by application and game developers. Where the Unreal Engine is not only used in the video game industry, but also in the film and animation industry.

"The record shows the potential for significant damage to the Unreal Engine platform itself, and to the gaming industry in general, including third party developers and players," said Judge Rogers, Wednesday, August 26.

This suspension is valid until there is a clear decision from the trial of Apple and Epic. In addition, the judge ruled that Apple should not return Fortnite games to the App Store.

This means that the Fortnite application still cannot be played by iPhone users for the future. The judge argued that Epic Games had violated the guidelines for a deal with Apple for third-party apps on the App Store.

"Apple has chosen to act tough and in doing so, has an impact on the non-party, and third-party developer ecosystem," Judge Rogers added.

Unfortunately, the decision was not what Epic Games had hoped for to ask for Fortnite games to be restored on the App Store. That means Fortnite players won't be able to play games on iPhone or iPad devices in the future.

Previously, Epic violated Apple and Google's app store guidelines earlier this month when it provided a direct in-app payment system for Fortnite users on iOS and Android. Apple and Google require developers on their platforms to use their payment processing system and comply with a tax payment of 30 percent of the transaction amount.

Epic's move led Apple to immediately remove Fortnite from the App Store, even though the game was a hit on Apple's online store. Furthermore, anticipating what Apple would do, minutes after Fortnite was withdrawn from the App Store, Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple and started one of the most daring marketing campaigns, for being against the tech giant.