Google and Apple sued for removing Fortnite

Aug 25,2024
2 min read
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As of Thursday, both Apple and Google kicked out Epic Games' popular Fortnite from the App Store and Google Play Store as Epic Games released a direct payment that bypasses Apple and Google. This means that the plan will give users an option to pay directly to Epic for any Fornite's in-app purchases whereas both Apple and Google take a 30 percent share from these purchases. They have also announced up to 20 percent permanent discount on Fortnite’s in-game currency V-Bucks as part of ‘Fornite Mega Drop’.

The update by Epic games violates Apple's policies and they stated, “Epic enabled a feature in its app which was not reviewed or approved by Apple, and they did so with the express intent of violating the App Store guidelines regarding in-app payments that apply to every developer who sells digital goods or services.” So, Apple was first to remove Fornite, and some hours later Google did the same. Also, it looks like Epic Games was ready to fight the consequences, so to fight back they have filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google and Apple. Although Fornite has violated Google's policies, the game is not banned from Android and can be downloaded from other Android platforms.

The game can be downloaded from the Epic Games app that is available at PlayStore and Samsung Galaxy Store, exclusively from Samsung users. It is removed from PlayStore until both companies reach a settlement. After analyzing the current situation, a Google spokesperson said, “For game developers who choose to use the Play Store, we have consistent policies that are fair to developers and keep the store safe for users. While Fortnite remains available on Android, we can no longer make it available on Play because it violates our policies. However, we welcome the opportunity to continue our discussions with Epic and bring Fortnite back to Google Play.”