Fortnite players on Apple mobile devices won't be able to access a new season of the game, set to launch Aug 27 with a software update, because the app has been removed from Apple's App Store.The company filed a lawsuit against Apple last week after the iPhone maker took Fortnite off its App Store for releasing an update that dodges revenue sharing.
Apple on Friday voiced its opposition to such an emergency order, arguing in a legal filing that Epic's situation is a"self-inflicted wound" that could be remedied by updating Fortnite to stop bypassing the App Store payment system."Having decided that it would rather enjoy the benefits of the App Store without paying for them, Epic has breached its contracts with Apple, using its own customers and Apple's users as leverage.
Apple does not allow users of its popular devices to download apps from anywhere but its App Store, prompting critics to argue it wields monopoly power. Without those tools, Epic will not be able to create iPhone, iPad or Mac computer versions of its widely used Unreal Engine for powering rich graphics.