Apple has to face Epic Games in court over Fortnite ban

APPLE will have to face Epic Games in court today over the ban of Fortnite from the App Store.

The tech giant removed Fortnite from its App Store last year for breaking payment rules.

Apple banned Fortnite from the App Store in August last yearCredit: AFP

Fortnite developer Epic Games is taking a stance against the 30% cut Apple takes of the money earned by apps on the App Store.

In August 2020, Epic Games tried to dodge this fee and got Fortnite banned from Apple’s platform.

It then handed Apple a 65 page lawsuit.

Both firms are now embroiled in a legal dispute over the ban.

The US court case could have implications for other app developersCredit: Alamy

The trial could have huge significance for other app and games developers that think Apple takes too much commission.

Apple CEO Tim Cook will be giving testimony for the first time ever at a trial.

Epic Games is fighting against what it calls an “Apple tax” but Apple is saying its 30% cut is fair and needed to keep apps on the App Store.

The tech giant is thought to have made hundreds of millions of dollars from Fortnite being on its platform so both Epic Games and Apple are currently losing out on money.

The court case is taking place in Oakland near San Francisco.

Epic Games is also suing Google for similar reasons so the Apple court case could affect future court cases too.

Apple and rival tech giant Google have come under fire in recent years for operating alleged “monopolies” in which they stifle competition and take colossal cuts on sales made through their app stores.

“Apple has become what it once railed against: The behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation,” Epic said in its lawsuit against Apple, filed in the Northern District of California.

“Apple is bigger, more powerful, more entrenched, and more pernicious than the monopolists of yesteryear.”

What is Fortnite, anyway?

FORTNITE is an online video game played by up to 250 million people across the world.

In it, 100 players compete on their own or with a small group of pals to grab weapons, gather resources and build defences, before fighting it out to be the last man (or team) standing.

Matches take about 20 minutes, and you can drop into a new game within seconds of your previous one finishing.

It’s bright, it’s cartoony and it’s fiendishly compelling.

Skill is rewarded but luck also plays a huge role, meaning no two games are ever the same and everyone feels like they have a chance of winning.

Fortnite has also made its developer billions.

In Europe it’s rated 12+, meaning it’s suitable for those aged 12 and up.

The battle royale mode is free to play, but there is also a story-driven single player and co-op mode called Save The World that players have to pay for.

Pop culture crossover events are very common because of the game’s huge audience.

These involve players being able to buy themed outfits for the movie, TV show or brand, as well as getting some themed activities in-game to do too.

These might be new places to explore, new challenges to complete to win themed accessories, or new game modes that are loosely related to the theme of whatever is being crossed over with.

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