Fortnite fans furious as Epic Games vows to fight on against Apple

Fortnite Season 6 Review Hero (Image credit: Epic Games)

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A court has ruled that Apple should change how it treats developers, letting them direct their customers to other ways to pay for in-app purchases.
Epic Games says it will appeal the legal rulings against it and has vowed to fight on.
Some fans were more than happy to let Tim Sweeney know how they felt about the situation.

Some fans of Fortnite are furious at Epic Games' plans to fight on against Apple in its App Store legal battle, and the revelation that Fortnite isn't coming back to the App Store anytime soon.

Yesterday a court ruled that Apple would no longer be allowed to stop developers from directing customers to other forms of payment outside of their apps. Whilst some developers have hailed the move as a massive win, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney certainly didn't see it that way. Epic Games has confirmed it plans to appeal the court's ruling, which favored Apple on 9 of the lawsuits 10 counts, and Tim Sweeney says the company will fight on.

Today’s ruling isn't a win for developers or for consumers. Epic is fighting for fair competition among in-app payment methods and app stores for a billion consumers. https://t.co/cGTBxThnsPToday’s ruling isn't a win for developers or for consumers. Epic is fighting for fair competition among in-app payment methods and app stores for a billion consumers. https://t.co/cGTBxThnsP— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 10, 2021 September 10, 2021

Some Fortnite fans, however, are not happy with Sweeney and Epic's decision, or with his indication that Fortnite would only come back to the App Store "when and where Epic can offer in-app payment in fair competition with Apple in-app payment, passing along the savings to consumers", an argument Judge Gonzalez Roger dismissed as "deficient."

In response to Sweeney's comments, some fans (including verified creators) expressed their displeasure:

Absolutely disgusting how you used the Fortnite Mobile platform as leverage in your war against App Stores. You must have forgot about the MILLIONS of players who no longer have access to a game we once loved and supported. Was a fun run, thanks for ruining it.Absolutely disgusting how you used the Fortnite Mobile platform as leverage in your war against App Stores. You must have forgot about the MILLIONS of players who no longer have access to a game we once loved and supported. Was a fun run, thanks for ruining it.— DuckyTheGamer (@duckybtw) September 10, 2021 September 10, 2021

Another chimed in stating "Ratiod by the Fortnite Mobile community you left behind," and another stated, "please stop, we want Fortnite on iOS."

We just want to play again. We’ve stayed loyal over 4 seasons which has been equivalent to over a year in game. I’ve spent so much money on vbucks and so have others. We just want to play again. You’re just losing player base and your fansWe just want to play again. We’ve stayed loyal over 4 seasons which has been equivalent to over a year in game. I’ve spent so much money on vbucks and so have others. We just want to play again. You’re just losing player base and your fans— MairuNFTs (@MairuNFTs) September 10, 2021 September 10, 2021

Not everyone was displeased though, one reply stating "Ignore the people saying they don't care and they want fortnite back on IOS! You guys at epic games are making a stand for smaller developers, and that's the only thing that matters!" Another encouraged Sweeney saying "The effort you put in this lawsuit is utterly amazing. One day Epic will achieve what they are fighting for."

It seems clear given the outcome of the lawsuit that Fortnite will not be coming back to devices like the iPhone 12 anytime soon, although this is as much because of Epic's resolve not to cave to Apple's policies as it is because Apple is preventing its return. Prior to the lawsuit verdict Friday, Apple stated that it would be happy to allow Fortnite back on the App Store provided Epic Games play by the same rules as everyone else. General Counsel for Apple Kate Adams said the company was "very pleased" with the court's ruling and said, "we consider this a huge win for Apple."

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9

4 Comments

"Absolutely disgusting how you used the Fortnite Mobile platform as leverage in your war against App Stores." Or, maybe it's time to recognize that your beloved company (Apple) is a huge theif that has been literally taking billions from the creators of such games. And taking all that money by literally doing nothing more than collecting the cash and running to the bank. Google's next.
Or maybe it's time to recognize Anti Apple haters haven't and still have nothing to say or add other than emotional rants. For example "by literally doing nothing". That's patently false and laughably so. Firstly, App game stores (more than Apple and Google) charge a fee for the store they run because they run the store. Their money started the hardware, furthered the hardware, created and maintained the OS, created and maintain the App Store. They constantly keep the integrity of the store in order in an Internet sea of scams and malware. They also make the store almost compulsory viewed to a billion and more users with anyone needing to advertise. Yep, that's literally nothing.
What I want is for the Anti Apple crowd to take all their money and start a store. Then I want to go into that store, pick something up, walk out with it while I say "you literally do nothing for this product and I paid for this elsewhere". To the Anti Apple ranters that would undoubtedly be something completely different.
It gets even more funny when this same crowd uses Tim sweeny and Epic as moralistic heroes. Even a cursory check of history would show how laughable that is.
Fyi, Epic could put the game back in iOS while they pursue legal avenues. If they win they'd get the money back anyways while their users get the game. They could even put the app on their as free but not in app purchase. For the users that go to Epic's website they'll see they can pay for their app levels at the website (which is perfectly legal and allowed for them to do). Yet they don't do that either. Huh.
Epic all along has been using this case as publicity, which has backfired and caused outrage from their iOS users who just want to play the game and not get into the platform wars or wining an argument over position. Time to pack it in, Epic and put up or shut up.
He Fortnite fans who are mad. Check out Destiny 2. Pretty good PVP, especially since Trials of Osiris got an upgrade. Way better gunplay and player movement. Dump free-to-play. It's a money sink.

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