As we know, Apple and Epic Games are both tied together in a legal tussle, resulting in Epic’s battle royale, Fortnite, being kicked out of Apple’s App Store.
However, after a recent court hearing, in which Epic celebrated its first-ever slight victory over the Cupertino giant, many players have been hoping that Fortnite, the central object of the legal battle, will now be available to download and play on Apple’s smartphones like the recently announced iPhone 13 (from US$829 on Amazon) very soon.
But for those who are expecting this to happen, sorry to burst your bubble; however, your hopes and dreams will soon be shattered.
According to sources, the lawyers representing the iPhone maker have announced that Apple intends to wait until the judgment in the legal battle, including all appeals, is final, which means that no Fortnite is back on App Store any time soon.
And knowing how complex the case is, it might take years until the legal courts come to such a non-appealable judgment. Now the only option for Fortnite’s fans to play their favourite game on a smartphone is to go for an Android device since the game can be easily installed and side-loaded on Google’s mobile operating system.
Apple has recently been ordering to allow for third-party payment options in its App Store that will make app owners sell their services without paying Apple a 30% tax. However, Apple does not want to accept the court’s ruling. The company is very keen on keeping the millions of US$ in provisions that it earns from purchases and payments made through its mandatory and restrictive App Store platform.
For more information, stay tuned.