Epic Games CEO reveals why they are suing Apple and Google
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney discussed his company’s lawsuit with Apple and Google.
Google and Apple removed Fortnite from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store when Epic Games gave players the option to pay for their V-Bucks directly through the app instead of through the stores. Mobile players were offered the choice to purchase 1,000 V-Bucks directly from Epic for $7.99 or pay $9.99 for the same amount of V-Bucks if they went through the Apple or Google Play Store. The game developer explained the option, stating that Apple and Google collect a 30% fee.
“If Apple or Google lower their fees on payments in the future, Epic will pass along the savings to you,” Epic said.
In response to the battle royale being removed from the mobile phones’ stores, Epic decided to sue both Apple and Google. In a tweet announcing the lawsuit, Epic said they had “defied the App Store Monopoly,” causing Apple to “block Fortnite from a billion devices.”
The hashtag #FreeFortnite started to trend worldwide on Twitter.
Epic Games has defied the App Store Monopoly. In retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices.
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) August 13, 2020
Visit https://t.co/K3S07w5uEk and join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming “1984” https://t.co/tpsiCW4gqK
Why is Epic Games suing Google and Apple?
In a series of tweets, Sweeney discussed the game developer’s decision to sue Google and Apple. He stated that they are “fighting for the freedom” of smartphone users to install apps from the “sources of their choosing.” They were also fighting for app creators to distribute apps “as they choose.”
At the most basic level, we’re fighting for the freedom of people who bought smartphones to install apps from sources of their choosing, the freedom for creators of apps to distribute them as they choose, and the freedom of both groups to do business directly.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) August 14, 2020
Sweeney then addressed people who argued that smartphone companies can “do whatever they want.” The CEO stated that it’s an “awful notion” because people should be fighting to defend their own rights instead of a big company’s rights, or whoever else is “denying” them their rights.
Sweeney also called out people who felt that Epic Games is a “billion-dollar company” who doesn’t need a “special deal.” Although Sweeney repeated that they are fighting for “the basic freedoms of all consumers and developers,” he also noted that it’s not wrong to fight for money.
“Finally, there’s nothing wrong with fighting about money. You work hard to earn this stuff. When you spent it, the way it’s divided determines whether your money funds the creation of games or is taken by middlemen who use their power to separate gamers from game creators,” Sweeney tweeted.
It’s not likely that Fortnite will be removed from Google and Apple forever, but so far there’s no update from either company on the future of Fortnite’s mobile app on their store.
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
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