Epic Games Apple and the fight continues, poor Fortnite!

Epic Games Apple and the fight continues, poor Fortnite!

We have just witnessed a big showdown between Apple and Epic Games on Monday to settle the round 1 of their lawsuit war. Epic filed a restraining order against Apple, Apple planned to pull out Unreal Engine from its platforms, terminating Epic’s developer account and removal of Fortnite from iOS Store. Epic was of the view that it would be “irreparably harmed” if Apple executes its aggressive designs.

US District Court Judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, listened to both parties and reached a verdict, and guess what, the outcome was mixed for Epic Games. The honorable Judge ordered a temporary restraining order, limiting Apple from ousting Epic from the developer platform and stopping updates of Unreal Engine on Apple OS.

The court document was clear in this regard and said that it could cause significant damage to both the Unreal Engine and the rest of the gaming industry. But Epic also took one in the gut when the Judge ruled that Apple won’t be required to restore Fortnite on Apple Store. The Judge believed that Epic brought this predicament to itself.

Epic and Apple both exchanged blows during the hearing, Epic seems frantic and put forward arguments that their reputation is at stake and a number of customer complaints are already being registered. Moreover, developers are leaving Unreal and moving on. On the contrary, Apple was unfazed, it was of the view that Epic is the one to blame for all the mess and these injuries are self-inflicted. Epic just needs to restore the status quo that is all.

Fellows, mind you, this is only the beginning, there is a lot to come in Apple VS Epic Games saga. All eyes on September 28^th, when lawyers will be reconvening to argue over a preliminary injunction; whether Unreal and Fortnite can stay on Apple’s platform or not until coming spring.

Let’s see what happens, as some other giants are supporting Epic Games, I think that the Judge will rule in a manner that won’t hurt the gaming industry in the longer run.

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I am observing and overseeing several boards of gaming companies. My trademark is to listen, strategize and give feedback to the stakeholders involved. I also represent management/founders towards shareholders and vice versa.