Fortnite: Apple cuts Epic Games from its iOS and Mac development tools as Unreal Engine faces an uncertain future

Apple has officially responded to Epic Games' lawsuit by threatening to cut the company off from iOS and Mac development tools in addition to terminating its developer accounts. The move is expected to come into effect from the 28th of August.

If the move comes to fruition, it could spell disaster and turn out to be a major catastrophe for Epic Games' Unreal Engine and the App store at large.

Epic Games have been locked in a legal battle with tech giants Apple and Google over the removal of Fortnite from their respective app stores.

This came in the aftermath of Epic Games' decision to introduce a Direct Payment system, which would circumvent the fees taken by Google and Apple app stores.

Since then, the feud has escalated into a full-blown war, with Epic Games positioning themselves as the seekers of autonomy from the duopolistic regime of Apple and Google.

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The future of Fortnite and Epic Games' Unreal Engine

Epic Games' is the creator of one of the most popular games in the world Fortnite, which has evolved into a record-breaking phenomenon over the course of its stellar run.

It is also known for developing the Unreal Engine, which has emerged as a revolutionary benchmark in the realm of game design. Its contribution is not only limited to the gaming sector as it has also been used in the production of popular TV series such as Westworld and The Mandalorian.

Image Credits: unrealengine.com

Apple's latest counter move is threatening to shake the very foundation of the gaming ecosystem, with Epic Games' distribution channels and developers in jeopardy.

With the recent developments, Apple has endangered Epic Games' ability to develop programs for system developers like Microsoft and Apple. By attempting to alienate the Unreal Engine from all future updated versions on iOS and Mac, Epic Games now finds itself in a precarious spot.

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This has exacerbated a raging online debate as battle lines continue to be drawn:

As stated in an article by The Washington Post, an Epic Games spokesperson stated:

The effects will reverberate well beyond video games . It will affect developers who use the Unreal Engine on Apple products in many fields.

In a statement, an Apple spokesperson responded by calling Epic Games one of the most successful developers and stated:

We very much want to keep the company as part of the Apple Developer Program and their apps on the Store. The problem Epic has created for itself is one that can be easily remedied if they submit an update of their app that reverts it to comply with the guidelines they agreed to and which apply to all developers.

We won't make an exception for Epic because we don’t think it’s right to put their business interests ahead of the guidelines that protect our consumers.

As a result of this, Epic Games has filed a second lawsuit in light of recent actions, as it seeks to file a restraining order against Apple.

A section of the lawsuit states:

Not content simply to remove Fortnite from the App store, Apple is attacking Epic's entire business in unrelated areas. Left unchecked, Apple's actions will irreparably damage Epic's reputation among Fortnite users and be catastrophic for the future of the separate Unreal Engine business.

To get an idea of all that Epic Games stands to lose if Apple terminates their developer accounts, check out the list below:

All that Epic Games stands to lose if Apple terminates their developer accounts (Image Credits: FireMonkey/ Twitter)

Fortnite mobile, as we know it, is staring at an early expiration, with no concrete future in store. Moreover, small-scale developers are expected to be a part of the collateral damage, as tech giants continue to battle it out for App store supremacy.

Irrespective of who emerges victorious, expect the fallout to be massive with potentially game-changing effects upon the entire digital spectrum.

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