Apple issues a statement about Epic Games

Apple yesterday released an official statement about Epic Games, “Fortnite” and the App Store.

After Epic Games said yesterday that Apple informed them that the company will be terminating Epic’s developer accounts following the removal of “Fortnite” from the App Store unless Epic complies with the ‌App Store‌ guidelines by August 28, Apple fired back, saying, “We won’t make an exception” for Epic or any single developer.

Here’s Apple’s statement in its entirety, via The Verge:

The App Store is designed to be a safe and trusted place for users and a great business opportunity for all developers. Epic has been one of the most successful developers on the App Store, growing into a multibillion dollar business that reaches millions of iOS customers around the world.

We very much want to keep the company as part of the Apple Developer Program and their apps on the store.

The problem Epic has created for itself is one that can easily be remedied if they submit an update of their app that reverts it to comply with the guidelines they agreed to and which apply to all developers. We won’t make an exception for Epic because we don’t think it’s right to put their business interests ahead of the guidelines that protect our customers.

Epic is waging a public fight against the App Store rules and fees.

Epic bypassed the App Store ruled by issuing a content update that didn’t need to go through Apple’s formal process which included a new direct payment option. This new option skirts Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store rules prohibiting developers like Epic from using their own payment options, prompting both Apple and Google to remove “Fortnite” from their stores.

Apple takes a thirty percent cut from all App Store sales and subscriptions. In case of subscriptions, Apple’s cut falls down to 15 percent after a subscriber’s full year.

In its complaint filed against Apple, Epic notes that it doesn’t seek monetary damage or any kind of compensation. Instead, the filing reads, Epic is after Apple and Google to force them to change their approach to their respective app store economies