Fortnite removed from Apple App store, Google Pay store

Last night, Apple and Google removed the popular game Fortnite from their app store after Epic Games launched a direct payment plan that bypasses Google Play store and Apple App store. For the unaware, both Apple and Google take a 30 per cent cut from in-app revenue purchases in games.

On Thursday, the developer of the game updated for both versions of Fornite that let users pay Epic directly for in-app purchases. Fortnite is a free game but users need to pay for in-game weapons and skins.

Commenting on the matter Epic Games said in a blog post that the company was introducing Epic Direct payments, a direct payment plan for iOS and Play store. The game developer further added that the new system is the same payment system it uses to process payments on PC and Mac computers as well as Android devices.

Apple said in a statement on the matter, “Epic enabled a feature in its app which was not reviewed or approved by Apple, and they did so with the express intent of violating the App Store guidelines regarding in-app payments that apply to every developer who sells digital goods or services.”

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Meanwhile, commenting on the matter Google said in a statement, “The open Android ecosystem lets developers distribute apps through multiple app stores. For game developers who choose to use the Play Store, we have consistent policies that are fair to developers and keep the store safe for users.”

“While Fortnite remains available on Android, we can no longer make it available on Play because it violates our policies. However, we welcome the opportunity to continue our discussions with Epic and bring Fortnite back to Google Play,” Google added.

Despite the removal, Fortnite will still be available on Android just not through the Play store. Android users will be able to download Fortnite from other app stores like Epic Games app or Samsung Galaxy Store on Samsung devices. For iPhone users, there’s no such option available.

Epic Games took to Twitter to reveal that it would debut a new short film called “Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite,” a seeming parody of Apple’s iconic “1984” commercial that introduced the Macintosh computer.

Soon after the incident, Epic Games filed a complaint against Apple in the US District Court in Northern California for the removal of the app from App store. It later filed suit against Google over alleged antitrust violations.