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On Tuesday, Apple filed a countersuit against Epic Games, accusing them of financial damages due to the bypassing of the 30% commissions that Apple takes from app developers. According to the court filing (PDF) Apple is accusing Epic of engaging in "self-help and subterfuge." They go on to say that "Epic sent a Trojan horse to the App Store," that being an update to Fortnite that allowed Epic "to bypass Apple's app review process and ability to collect commissions by directing app users to pay Epic instead, cutting Apple out entirely."
Apple is currently seeking a judgment from Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers saying that Epic breached its developer contract with Apple, as well as monetary damages.
Epic has not released a new statement. I personally assume they are getting ready yet another propaganda video that will make its debut to young children everywhere within Fortnite... except for those on iOS.
Keep in mind that this entire legal battle began when Epic knowingly broke their contract with Apple by setting up direct payments for purchasing V-Bucks within the iOS and Android versions of Fortnite. Both companies removed the game from their official storefronts and Epic responded with lawsuits the very same day. Since then, Epic has both won and lost small legal battles in their ongoing fight. A judge ruled that Apple cannot block third-party users of Unreal Engine, but they are free to keep Fortnite off of the App Store. At the end of August, Apple terminated the Epic Games developer account in its entirety.
This latest filing found Apple reiterating its claim that Epic knowingly self-manufactured its legal and business crisis when it tried to circumvent payments made through Apple's storefront.
Epic fired the first shot in this dispute, and its willful, brazen, and unlawful conduct cannot be left unchecked. Neither Mr. Sweeney’s self-righteous (and self-interested) demands nor the scale of Epic’s business can justify Epic’s deliberate contractual breaches, its tortious conduct, or its unfair business practices. This Court should hold Epic to its contractual promises, award Apple compensatory and punitive damages, and enjoin Epic from engaging in further unfair business practices.
