Fortnite, a popular video game, was removed by Apple and Google on Thursday from their app stores. They made a move against Fortnite for violating the in-app payment guidelines of the companies. However, it prompted the developers, Epic Games, to file a federal antitrust lawsuit challenging the rules of both companies (1).
The feature of direct payment by the Fortnite app is the sole citation for the move made by the giants for the violation. Epic Games is not suing the companies for money but an injection to end both companies’ many regulations related to their app stores.
Apple is now more powerful, prominent, fortified, and pernicious than previous monopolists.
In the lawsuit filed by Epic Games said that Apple has now become what it once rallied against, a juggernaut. It further noted that Apple is seeking market control by blocking competition and smother innovation. The Fortnite developers filed their lawsuit in the Northern District of California.
Epic Games also attached Apple on Social Media by launching a campaign with #FreeFortnite hashtag. The company is also urging its players to seek refunds from Apple if they lost game access.
Fortnite: Apple and Google Constantly Under anti-Competition Scrutiny
Apple and Google are among the American technology companies that are under anti-competition Scrutiny. The major companies were also going for hearing before lawmakers in the previous month.
In the lawsuit, Epic Games says that Apple’s app distribution and in-app payments have its market for anti-competition purposes.
The batter royal video game”Fortnite” hit massive popularity after its launch in 2017. However, now that the giants remove the game from their app stores, new players won’t be able to download the app, and the existing player cannot receive the updates. However, the game will continue working on devices where the young gamers already install it.
In both app stores, Apple’s and Google’s, Fortnite has over 2 million downloads as of July 2020. The numbers are based on the mobile analytics firm SensorTower. As the data suggests that Apple users have spent over 34 million USD, whereas Android users have spent only over 2 million USD.
