With things seeming frigid as we approach the end of 2021, fans are now wondering if there`s a chance Fortnite will return to the App Store in 2022. Nearly a month later, on August 13, Sweeney again sent an email to Apple and Vetter`s management team, warning Epic that Epic “will no longer comply with Apple`s payment processing restrictions” by introducing direct payments into the Fortnite app. On March 26, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers limited the number of people who could attend the trial in California in person. Apple and Epic are limited to a maximum of six people per side in the courtroom at any given time. In a Sept. 8 counterclaim, Apple called Epic Games` lawsuit “nothing more than a fundamental disagreement over money.” The Cupertino-based tech giant added, “While Epic bills itself as a modern Robin Hood company, in reality, it`s a multi-billion dollar company that simply doesn`t want to pay anything for the huge value it derives from the App Store.” The call won`t be decided for a few months, and even after that, Apple wants Epic to agree to its original terms if it wants to restore Fortnite to iOS devices. This certainly seems unlikely, as Epic Games hopes to achieve a victory in its cross-appeal. Apple said that due to Tim Sweeney`s public statements about the outcome of the lawsuit and Epic`s “deceptive behavior in the past,” it “exercised its discretion not to restore Epic`s development program account at this time.” Apple certainly has the right to refuse to reinstate the Epic Games developer account, as the court ruled that Epic had breached its contract with Apple and that Apple`s termination of the account was “valid, legal and enforceable.” Apple has no legal obligation to restore epic games` developer account. In particular, Epic said it wanted to circumvent App Store fees by obtaining permission to implement direct payment systems. When rejected, Sweeney responded, informing Apple that Fortnite “will no longer comply with Apple`s payment processing restrictions.” Apple has also reiterated its offer for Fortnite to return to its App Store as long as Epic removes the payment system that violates its rules.
“All of those alleged injuries for which Epic is unduly seeking emergency assistance could disappear tomorrow if Epic heals its breach,” Apple said in its filing. Valve pushed back because the requests were tedious even though they were technically available. With a large number of steps to follow for each individual application, this becomes an overwhelming amount of work. Measures will be taken to protect all parties involved, including appropriate social distancing and admission restriction. Allowances for remote readings would be granted in case of poor health or when travel is not possible. Sweeney specifically acknowledged that the changes it proposed would be a direct violation of several of the terms of the agreements between Epic and Apple. Mr. Sweeney acknowledged that Epic would not be able to implement its proposal unless the agreements between Epic and Apple were changed,” Phil Schiller, Apple Fellow and former head of global marketing, said in a statement filed with the court. “While consumers are feeling the effects of this litigation, the fact remains: these are commercial disputes,” Rogers said in the decision on Fortnite. A punitive class action lawsuit on behalf of all developers on these issues was already underway when Epic Games violated the agreements. Yet Epic Games has never adequately explained its haste, other than its contempt for the situation.
The current situation is caused by itself. Epic`s battle with Apple comes as the biggest tech companies are being tested for their power. On Tuesday, House lawmakers said Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google had exercised and abused their monopoly power to stifle competition and hurt consumers, and recommended restructuring the companies. European regulators have also launched an investigation into whether Apple`s App Store rules are anti-competitive. And in the coming days, the Justice Department is expected to sue Google for anti-competitive search practices. It appears the question was referring to Sweeney`s earlier attempts to negotiate special treatment, but in an attempt to downplay it by claiming that Apple was unwilling to offer such a deal or negotiate special treatment. From the list, Cook is expected to take an hour of questioning and cross-examination at a time, and a 10-minute redirect in which he will talk about Apple`s company values, the development and launch of the App Store, and industry competition. Federighi will be needed for just over three hours, while Schiller will say a total of 11 hours. The mixed verdict showed the high cost of acquiring a tech giant like Apple, even for an established company like Epic.
The 116 million people who accessed Fortnite through Apple`s systems will continue to be kept out as Epic and Apple prepare for a trial in the case, scheduled for May. Apple and Epic Games will participate in a trial in the United States. District Court for the District of Northen, California on the case. AppleInsider will report on ongoing arguments and decisions. In a statement to AppleInsider, Apple expressed gratitude to the court because it “realized that Epic`s actions were not in the best interests of its own customers and that any problems they faced were caused by themselves when they broke their deal.” The verdict of the trial was essentially inconclusive on the return of Fortnite Mobile. For this reason, fans are wondering if Epic Games and Apple can reach an agreement soon. This raises the question of what is the current state of the Apple vs Epic lawsuit in 2021. .