“Fortnite” for iOS offline: Epic and Apple blame each other

It has been clear since Friday: The long-awaited “Fortnite” does not initially come-as hoped for by Epic Games for a successful US court proceedings-in the regular American app store. After initially speculating that Apple had blocked the application worldwide, the iPhone group provided information for the first time. Accordingly, Epic Games itself is to blame that the game is no longer available in the so -called alternative app marketplaces that Apple allows in the European Union.

Update remains offline

In the USA, a judge Apple had applied not to block apps with web payments in the App Store. Epic Games submitted a corresponding update on May 9 at Apple’s app review. Then nothing happened at first – although according to its own statements, Apple waves 90 percent of all updates in 24 hours. Since Epic Games “Fortnite” updated weekly, the submission was withdrawn and a new version was submitted. But there was no reaction here either. Finally Epic Games gave on FridayApple blocked the “Fortnite” submission so that we cannot publish it in the US App Store or the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union, “the company said. “Sadly, Fortnite now remains offline under iOS, as long as Apple does not unlock it.”

But according to Apple, that’s not quite true. Apple shared opposite Bloomberg With, the non -release lies on something else. Epic Games Sweden-the company that still has a developer account at Apple was asked to submit the update “without the US Storeiront” so that “Fortnite” is not also affected in other geographical regions. In this case, “US StoreFront” is the version with the integrated web payments that Apple always wanted to prevent. Apple continued to “do nothing” to stop the distribution of the live version of Fortnite of alternative App Marketplaces in the European Union.

Tree and bark

Both Epic Games and Apple seem to contribute their part to prevent “Fortnite” on the iPhone. Epic Games always brings the game to a current status with regular updates that have to be published on all platforms worldwide at the same time. Since this did not happen with the version for the alternative App Marketplaces in the EU – because Apple had blocked the new variant with “US StoreFront” – the game is “for everyone”. Apple himself stubbornly provides itself to accept a version of “Fortnite” that applies to all platforms. One wants Epic Games Sweden to submit a variant without a web payment for the USA, which could then be made available in the EU.

However, Epic Games has no other way to use Epic Games Sweden because Apple has blocked the American development account account during the long-term legal procedure. So Apple does not have a contract with Epic Games America and does not see itself forced to pass “Fortnite” there – despite the court ruling. The question now is how the dispute continues. Epic boss Tim Sweeney had already communicated“It will” very surprise “when Apple is now carrying out the blocking of an” important iOS app “and goes to a” geopolitical storm “.