Epic Games loses Fortnite v Apple lawsuit on all counts but one

The Epic Games v Apple lawsuit over Fortnite's removal from the App Store (among other things) has been long and drawn out. It resulted in the leak of tons of Fortnite plans for the future, including Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, The Rock and so many more upcoming collaborations. The lawsuit has now finally come to an end, but the outcome is not a favorable one for Epic Games.

Epic lost the lawsuit against apple after a 12+ months of waiting, the judge decided in favor of Apple on all counts. (via @verge)

— HYPEX (@HYPEX) September 10, 2021

The case went on for over a year, with the lawsuit beginning in August 2020. Finally, a judge ruled on the case in favor of Apple on all but one count. That one count, however, is rather significant.

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Epic Games v Apple trial over Fortnite mobile finally ends

The initial conflict between Epic Games and Apple began when Epic tried to circumvent an App Store transaction fee system by making it more beneficial to purchase V-Bucks through Fortnite instead, even for mobile players. This resulted in Apple removing Fortnite from the App Store and the ensuing lawsuit.

Fortnite lost on all counts and will more than likely not be making it back to the App Store, which is unfortunate for former Fortnite mobile players who have Apple devices. However, it's not a clean win for Apple, either. Fortnite did win on one count and that count will change how Apple does things moving forward.

All but one…Apple can no longer ban devs from linking out to other payment options. Which was in part the most import piece of case. Epic ultimately wanted their own Epic Store on iOS but this is fair, at least for now. Momentum on their side. Huge win for devs and customers.

— alex medina (@mrmedina) September 10, 2021

As a result, Apple has to allow for other forms of in-game purchases. Rather than everything going through the App Store, which makes Apple more money, purchases within the game itself have to be enabled.

Fortnite mobile, as a result of the lawsuit, is effectively an Android exclusive as it is not on the App Store. (Image via Epic Games)

The official statement says that Apple is "permanently restrained and enjoined from prohibiting developers from including in their apps and their metadata buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms, in addition to In-App Purchasing and communicating with customers through points of contact obtained voluntarily from customers through account registration within the app."

Furthermore, the judge ruled that Epic Games violated the contract by implementing their system for purchases and that they must pay Apple 30 percent of all revenue that was gained through that system from the moment it was implemented. This is another huge blow to Epic Games and a win for Apple.

It's a loss for Epic Games, because they can no longer exist on the App Store, which is arguably the most prominent app location as a lot of people have Apple devices. However, it's a win for the game developers overall, since they can now make money off their game's in-app purchases, rather than Apple having the upperhand in the matter.