Epic Games developer account terminated by Apple – Fortnite gamers unhappy – (28/8/20)

Epic Games’ developer account terminated

In mid-August Apple stated that it would terminate the developer account for Epic Games if the Fortnite app continued to break App Store rules and today, Apple complied with that threat, and Epic’s access to the account removed. This has been reported by MacRumors and here’s what we had to cover!

If you don’t know what we are talking about, check out : Apple Vs EpicGames: Bottom line of this clash you should know about!

Fortnite has been unavailable for a few weeks, but other Epic Games titles such as the Battle Breaker and Infinity Blade stickers were still in the App Store. Now that the Epic Games developer account has been terminated, those apps are gone. Apple has started featuring PUBG Mobile on its App store since the termination of Epic Games’ developer account.

iPhones with Pre-installed Fortnite

Searching for Epic Games in the App Store is not an app and the Epic Games Developer account on the web is empty. Although the developer account is not available, Fortnite continues to work.

Those who have downloaded Fortnite on an iPhone or iPad can continue playing the game, but there is a catch – none of the new Marvel-themed Season 4 content is available, as Fortnite is unable to be updated.

What caused their termination?

Fortnite has been violating the Rules App Store rules since August 13, when it introduced a direct payment option that shortened Apple’s in-app purchase system by allowing direct payments for Epic games. Soon after Epic’s disregard of storage policies, Apple pulled the app from the store, leading to a lawsuit from Epic and prompting an immediate legal battle between the two companies.

Since Epic started a dispute with Apple, it has refused to back out of the direct purchase option added to Fortnite, and Apple has refused to allow the app in the App store while the direct payment option remains.

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Last night, Epic sent an email to Fortnite’s players, alleging the unavailability of the new season, and said Apple prevented “Fortnite” from protecting Epic Games from “Saving players from direct payments”. After all this, Apple started promoting PUBG Mobile in its App Store.

Apple originally wanted to terminate the developer accounts of both Epic Games and Epic International, a separate account linked to Epic’s Unreal Engine used by third-party app developers, but a judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing Apple from doing so. The judge declined to stop Apple from terminating the Epic Games account, however, telling Epic that it “created the situation” and made a “strategically and calculated move to breach” ‌App Store‌ terms.

In a statement, Apple confirmed that the account was removed and said it was disappointing that the termination was due.

We are disappointed that we have had to terminate the Epic Games account on the ‌App Store‌. We have worked with the team at Epic Games for many years on their launches and releases. The court recommended that Epic comply with the ‌App Store‌ guidelines while their case moves forward, guidelines they’ve followed for the past decade until they created this situation. Epic has refused. Instead, they repeatedly submit Fortnite updates designed to violate the guidelines of the ‌App Store‌. This is not fair to all other developers on the ‌App Store‌ and is putting customers in the middle of their fight. We hope that we can work together again in the future, but unfortunately, that is not possible today.

Apple

App Store policy

Apple stated that the termination only applies to the Epic Games developer account, and this occurred when Epic Games was given 14 days to comply with the App Store rules. Deleting an Epic Games account is the standard procedure for all accounts that defy Apple’s store policies.

Epic no longer has the option to submit apps or updates through its developer account and in-app purchases in the Fortnite app will no longer be a functional option for Fortnite players. Apple says that disabling in-app purchases will protect users because Epic was instructing Apple’s support staff to get users to purchase refunds as the launch of Fortnite’s new season.