Fortnite maker, Epic Games, has been on a roll recently as
it is taking Apple and Google to court for legal reasons. On Thursday, Epic
Games offered a permanent 20 percent discount on all Fortnite’s in-game
purchases should a player purchases directly from Epic. This violated the rules
of app stores of Apple and Google which resulted in Fortnite being removed from
these stores.
Epic Games expected this reaction and was ready for what was
about to come however, it wasn’t fazed at all. The gaming company went on ahead
to file lawsuits against both the companies as well as launching a
#FreeFortnite campaign to get its troops to join the bandwagon. With everything
happening so fast and on such a big scale, it felt like we were witnessing a
real-life battle royale.
Epic Games’ headquarter is in North Carolina, and is
partially owned by a Chinese tech company, Tencent Games. They recreated the
iconic Apple ad from “1984” and portrayed Apple as an evil entity that needs to
be destroyed. They said, “Epic Games has defied the App Store Monopoly. In
retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices, join the fight to
stop 2020 from becoming 1984.”
The battle between the tech companies is closely watched by
millions and has created controversies all around. Both Apple and Google charge
30 percent of all in-app purchases as a commission for providing the game. This
policy has faced a negative backlash from developers. Apple is in legal investigation
in the EU and United Stated facing antitrust issues and its App Store
practices. The company is defending its case by pointing out that other stores
have similar rules and structures in place.
Epic Games has challenged two of the biggest tech companies
and we can only wait how the story unfolds.
Infographic by: statista.com
