'Fortnite' could return to Apple App Store if Apple accepts Epic peace proposal
Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has made an offer to Apple -- end external commissions globally and get "Fortnite" back on the App Store and a cease in litigation.
'Fortnite' could finally return to the App Store, for real this time. Image source: Epic Games
Apple just got slapped with an incredible ruling from Judge Gonzalez Rogers after the company failed to honor the spirit of the injunction that aimed to eliminate anti-steering practices. As a result, Apple must stop all commissions on purchases made outside the App Store, and it must end all controls over external linking too.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney sees this as a significant victory and offers to share in the spoils. He says all Apple has to do is extend the Judge's new ruling out of the United States to the rest of the world. Then, and only then, will Epic return Fortnite to the App Store "next week."
We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week.
Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court's friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we'll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic. https://t.co/bIRTePm0Tv— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic)
That means Apple would have to stop collecting money from any transaction that took place outside of the App Store globally while also eliminating rules against linking externally. This would likely result in a not insignificant dent in Apple's commission revenue.
Sweeney's offer is to bring Fortnite back to the platform, which is a wildly popular game played across consoles, PC, and mobile -- virtually everywhere except Apple devices. However, other than customer satisfaction at the result, Apple would get nothing in return beyond an end to litigation.
Fortnite would be available to download for free from Apple's App Store, and Apple would never collect a penny of revenue from Epic Games besides its $100 per year developer fee. Apple would host and distribute the game to its highly valuable user base and get nothing from it.
Epic Games argues this is how it should work and is part of what it has been aiming for the entire time. Of course, it likely won't stop here even if Fortnite returns, as the company likely still wants to run its own Epic Games Store on iOS.
That'll be a lawsuit for another time.
In the meantime, Apple will have to consider the offer. AppleInsider staff find it highly unlikely to be accepted as Apple has proven time and time again that it is perfectly happy going to court.
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