Epic Games, the publisher of the Fortnite video game, filed a lawsuit Thursday against Apple, which it accuses of abusing a dominant position on the App Store, the mobile application store of the iPhone maker. Apple behaves in an “anti-competitive” manner, according to the studio.
He wants to question the 30% commission on transactions between consumers and apps, required to appear on the App Store.
The Californian group has just removed the globally successful game from its store, after Epic Games installed a payment method that allows players to save money by bypassing the App Store system.
“Today, Epic Games made the unfortunate decision to break the App Store rules, which apply to all developers and are designed to keep the store secure for our users,” Apple said. “As a result, Fortnite has been removed from the store.”
Apple is in the crosshairs of many regulators and app publishers who are contesting the company’s hold on the App Store, a necessary step for downloading apps to its popular devices, from smartphones to tablets.
“Apple has become what he once cursed against. The monster who wants to control the markets, block competition and stifle innovation,” details the complaint.
Apple has defended itself against similar attacks in the past by explaining that commissions are used to protect apps and their users from hackers and scams. Its percentage may drop to 15% from the second year of a subscription.
Approximately 350 million people have played Fortnite since 2017, when this survival shooter became a star in esports competitions, released.
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