Epic Games Responds to Apple Removing Fortnite by Filing Legal Complaint

Epic Games has filed a legal response to Apple’s decision to remove Fortnite from its App Store [...]

By Tanner Dedmon

Epic Games has filed a legal response to Apple's decision to remove Fortnite from its App Store on Thursday. The legal complaint published by the Fortnite developer this week said Apple employed monopolistic practices and restraints in digital markets and that Epic Games is seeking an injunctive relief that would allow fair competition in the app distribution and app payment processing markets. These responses from both companies come not long after Epic Games introduced a new way for Fortnite players to bypass the fees imposed by Apple and Google on the mobile versions of the games.

The response from Epic Games came quickly after Apple made its decision to remove Fortnite from the App Store. Epic Games' swift filing of the complaint suggests that this sort of response from Apple was not unexpected seeing how the documents shared via social media consist of 65 pages of text detailing Epic Games' case and what they seek from the matter.

In the documents, Epic Games said it's bringing this suit against Apple to end the "unfair and anti-competitive actions that Apple undertakes to unlawfully maintain its monopoly" within the iOS App Distribution Market and the iOS In-App Payment Processing Market. However, Epic Games said it's not actually looking for any monetary compensation itself and instead is hoping to achieve a fairer competition for consumers and app developers.

"Epic is not seeking monetary compensation from this Court for the injuries it has suffered," Epic's complaint against Apple read. "Nor is Epic seeking favorable treatment for itself, a single company. Instead, Epic is seeking injunctive relief to allow fair competition in these two key markets that directly affect hundreds of millions of consumers and tens of thousands, if not more, of third-party app developers."

Epic's complaint cited Apple's fees levied on products on the App Store including a 30% tax retained by Apple. That fee was brought up previously in Epic Games' announcement on Thursday that it'd be permanently lowering the price of V-Bucks. Epic Games introduced a new payment option which would sent the money straight to Epic Games on mobile devices, thus bypassing Apple's fees. People speculated at the time how Epic Games had gotten away with it, but we're now seeing the results of that decision. Epic Games said in its documents that Apple responded to the new payment option by removing the game rather than tolerating the "healthy competition" and "compete on the merits of its offering."

The full legal complaint against Apple shared by Epic Games can be read in full here.

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