Why Was Fortnite Banned By Apple and Google?

Why Was Fortnite Banned By Apple and Google?

On August 13th, Epic Games implemented a new direct system of payment for Fortnite that was introduced across all platforms. This new system – coined the Fortnite Mega Drop – applied discounts reaching up to 20% off on V-bucks, the currency used in the game. This may sound trivial and in fact, beneficial to the player, but it was a move that has faced great controversy on mobile devices.

On both Android and IOS devices, Apple and Google collect 30% of all in-app purchases – an anti-competition policy. Epic’s new system aimed to bypass this policy by allowing players to choose a direct form of payment, that in turn lowered prices as there was no cut being taken. However, this is a violation of App Store guidelines. In response to this violation, Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store.

Apple published a statement which shed some light on the situation: “Today, Epic Games took the unfortunate step of violating the App Store guidelines that are applied equally to every developer and designed to keep the store safe for our users. As a result, their Fortnite app has been removed from the store. 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.”

Why Was Fortnite Banned By Apple and Google?

On August 13th, Epic Games implemented a new direct system of payment for Fortnite that was introduced across all platforms. This new system – coined the Fortnite Mega Drop – applied discounts reaching up to 20% off on V-bucks, the currency used in the game. This may sound trivial and in fact, beneficial to the player, but it was a move that has faced great controversy on mobile devices.

On both Android and IOS devices, Apple and Google collect 30% of all in-app purchases – an anti-competition policy. Epic’s new system aimed to bypass this policy by allowing players to choose a direct form of payment, that in turn lowered prices as there was no cut being taken. However, this is a violation of App Store guidelines. In response to this violation, Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store.

Apple published a statement which shed some light on the situation: “Today, Epic Games took the unfortunate step of violating the App Store guidelines that are applied equally to every developer and designed to keep the store safe for our users. As a result, their Fortnite app has been removed from the store. 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.”