'Fortnite' CEO thought he'd beat Apple in weeks, not years

AppleInsider

Epic Games chief Tim Sweeney complains that "Fortnite" should not have been off the App Store for so long, ignoring the fact that he willfully violated Apple's terms of service.

Still from Epic Games's "1984" video about Apple -- image source: Epic Games

Back in 2020, Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store, while makers Epic Games cried foul and made out that this was big brother-style interference, done with no notice or warning. It was soon revealed that Epic Games had not only knowingly violated its App Store contracts, but had also spent months planning the violation, the protest, and its accompany video.

Subsequently, Apple won every scintilla of its legal case against Epic Games, bar one concerning anti-steering. And Apple managed to mishandle that one loss that the company was ultimately forced to allow the game back onto the App Store.

"I had actually hoped that we would get an injunction against Apple blocking Fortnite and that we'd only be off for a few weeks," Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney told The Verge in a new interview. "But the court process dragged out, and we were off for five years."

Sweeney has previously claimed that, including lost profits, its choice to fight Apple over payment systems cost it $1 billion. Now Epic Games plans to make the most of being back on the iPhone, as Sweeney says that "all future growth of Fortnite will primarily be on mobile."

In the same interview, the games developer's executive vice president Saxs Persson, echoes this, and implies that beating Apple means they can now develop Fortnite further.

The iOS version of the game is now "part of everybody's life" at the company, says Persson, and the developers have a "real-world feel" for what they want to do with it next. "The doors are open now, and we can actually go and every day make the game better," he continued.

Sweeney says that since the company was allowed to offer alternative payment systems, 40% of users have chosen to use it. Some 60% have stayed with Apple's in-app payment processing, and he says that's because they already had accounts there instead of with Epic Games.

"As we get more players to associate payment methods with their Epic accounts," he said, "we'll see a higher rate of adoption, and I would hope that it would be above 50%."

The return of Fortnite to the App Store is part of a series of orders Apple has been required to follow after a ruling from Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. They all concern this issue of anti-steering, the business of denying developers the ability to communicate alternative offers to users.



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penzi

Some of his claims have merit but the guy is an a**. There are a ton of ways that Apple can and should be brought to account but Tim Sweeney’s case was as flimsy as his cynicism is solid. May his losses accrue…

pichael

I can’t see it in the uk store still? Anyone else unable to see it in other countries?

hmurchison

Absolutely hate dealing with Epic Games.    Success for Fortnite doesn't mean the company is run efficiently at all. 

22july2013

pichael said:

I can’t see it in the uk store still? Anyone else unable to see it in other countries?

It's not in Canada yet.

nubus

pichael said:

I can’t see it in the uk store still? Anyone else unable to see it in other countries?

Why would it be available in the UK? The court orders are for EU and US.

9secondkox2

He shouldn't have thought he'd beat Apple at all and should have simply honored his legal and binding agreement. 

maltz

He... didn't expect a court battle targeting the core of Apple's app store revenue to drag out?  He thought it'd be over in a few weeks?  Holy crap, fire that guy immediately.

rezwits

I'll say it again, Steam, SteamOS, and SteamBoxes...  Steam SEEMS to have no problem building their own to compete with Apple, an online STORE EVEN!  But yet Apple makes it "impossible compete..."

HORSE $#!+

edited June 4

bala1234

rezwits said:

I'll say it again, Steam, SteamOS, and SteamBoxes...  Steam SEEMS to have no problem building their own to compete with Apple, an online STORE EVEN!  But yet Apple makes it "impossible compete..."

HORSE $#!+

Steam is a different company from EPIC? Also I don't think Steam has any problems with 3rd party app stores on Steam Deck or Steam Box.

edited June 4

botsauce

nubus said:

pichael said:

I can’t see it in the uk store still? Anyone else unable to see it in other countries?

Why would it be available in the UK? The court orders are for EU and US.

I dunno, good will? Right now they are sending the message that they only provide public utility when compelled to. I’m an apple fanboy but i disagree with this approach. 

xbit

rezwits said:

I'll say it again, Steam, SteamOS, and SteamBoxes...  Steam SEEMS to have no problem building their own to compete with Apple, an online STORE EVEN!  But yet Apple makes it "impossible compete..."

HORSE $#!+

Epic's attempts to compete with Steam are hilarious. They've engaged in every anti-competitive practice going (exclusivity periods for new games, free games, run as a $2 billion loss leader) and yet Steam continues to dominate. Gamers will never trust Epic in the way they do Valve.

I'm surprised that they haven't tried to sue Valve.

rezwits

bala1234 said:

rezwits said:

I'll say it again, Steam, SteamOS, and SteamBoxes...  Steam SEEMS to have no problem building their own to compete with Apple, an online STORE EVEN!  But yet Apple makes it "impossible compete..."

HORSE $#!+

Steam is a different company from EPIC? Also I don't think Steam has any problems with 3rd party app stores on Steam Deck or Steam Box.

Sooorrry, Valve/Steam whatever you want to use to get the point across...