In an interview with CNN, Tim Sweeney talked about the lawsuit with Apple. The Epic CEO emphasized that he wants to change the industry, even though it is time-consuming and costly.
What’s going on? In August 2020, Epic decided to sell the currency V-Bucks directly in the iOS version of Fortnite. Previously, the currency had to be purchased through the App Store, which incurred additional fees for Apple. We’re talking about 30% of revenue.
- Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store, and Google followed suit.
- Subsequently, Epic Games sued both Apple and Google.
- A dispute arose in which Apple closed all developer accounts of Epic developers. This also affected games and developers using Epic’s Unreal Engine.
- However, a court ruled that this behavior was unlawful, leading to the reactivation of these developers.
- Fortnite is still not available in the App Store or the Play Store. We reveal how you can still play Fortnite on iOS here.
The proceedings between Apple and Google versus Epic are still ongoing.
Why is Epic doing this at all? Tim Sweeney is the head of Epic and also owns a significant stake in the company. In his view, he is fighting with Epic for the right of indie developers to their earnings and against monopolists.
In an interview with CNN, he explained that the fight costs a lot, and hardly any other company could afford it.
Sweeney is optimistic that Epic can change the industry
What exactly does Sweeney say? Previously, the Epic CEO had commented on the lawsuit. He compared the dispute between his company and Apple to the civil rights movement. This garnered Sweeney a lot of criticism.
But even in the new interview, he emphasized how important the fight between Epic and Apple is. He fears a dystopian future where few corporations dominate the entire market and only focus on profit.
He sees himself in a role where he can change the industry with Epic:
It’s “Epic” to fight for change or to push for it and to succeed, and that’s not so unusual. We’ve done that quite often, and everyone in the industry has often benefited from it.
Epic is not only fighting against Apple and Google but also against Steam. Recently, they announced that they would bring more than 100 titles exclusively to the Epic Store. With this, they want to compete against the rival Steam, which they believe also takes too much revenue from developers.
What risks does Epic take? In the interview, Sweeney emphasizes the effort and risks behind the lawsuit:
We are still a very independent company that is not beholden to public markets where we must constantly show increasing profits.
And such a fight [against Apple and Google], where we lose money for a year or longer, would never be tolerated. So we have the financial independence to do this.
In fact, the number of daily active users on iOS reportedly decreased by 60% in September.
Moreover, some developers jumped ship from Epic, who previously wanted to implement their games using the Unreal Engine. The engine was developed by Epic and is a factor for revenue.
For example, Ryan Engel tweeted in December 2020 that his company did not want to implement a planned game in Unreal Engine. There was a risk that it would be banned by Apple:
Sweeney explained in the interview that some developers are afraid of Apple’s actions. But Epic will continue to fight despite these restrictions.
Apple sees lawsuit as a PR move
What does Apple actually say? Apple already commented on the lawsuits and the situation with Epic in mid-September. At that time, they stated that the entire lawsuit is a PR campaign to save the struggling Fortnite.
In the 37-page letter to the district court, it is stated, among other things, that “Epic takes its own customers hostage to gain more leverage in the business dispute.”
What’s next with the lawsuits?
- The lawsuit between Epic and Apple is set to be heard in May.
- Google, on the other hand, is reported to have requested to dismiss the hearing scheduled for February 18.
You can read more details about the entire situation here: What’s behind Fortnite 1984, the attack on Apple and #FreeFortnite.
