Epic Games has added a direct payment option to its popular game "Fortnite", allowing users to bypass Apple's in-app payment model and purchase in-game virtual currency at a lower price. Epic Games also adopted the same approach for the Android version of "Fortnite", resulting in the game being removed not only from the App Store but also from the Google Play Store within hours of the update.
According to Apple, Fortnite was removed from the App Store because it used a payment method that was not approved by Apple, thus violating the App Store's guidelines for apps. Apple also emphasized that this rule applies to all developers, not just Epic Games.
Google also cited the same reason for removing Fortnite from the Google Play Store, stating that it violated in-app payment regulations, which mandate that any in-app payment items must utilize a Google-provided API. Google emphasized that this move was intended to ensure the security of in-app payment processes and prevent the theft of credit card and other payment information.
However, the market believes that Apple and Google require developers to use a designated payment mechanism within the app, not only to ensure the security of the payment process, but more importantly to ensure that they can collect a commission amount ranging from 30%.
Before this, many apps listed on the App Store and Google Play Store, such as Netflix and Spotify, although set up designated payment mechanisms within the app to comply with usage regulations, encouraged users to pay for subscriptions through the official service website to avoid paying commission fees to Apple and Google.
However, if games that frequently require users to pay during gameplay use the same method to avoid profit sharing, it will obviously require users to jump out of the game content, which will affect the user's gaming experience. Therefore, Epic Games chose to add an additional direct payment option in this "Fortnite Heroes" update, allowing users to choose to pay through the platform's designated payment mechanism or pay directly to Epic Games.
Although Epic Games believes that it complies with the platform's designated payment mechanism within the app, it is obvious that users will choose to pay with a relatively low amount. Therefore, Apple and Google believe that Epic Games' move violates the platform's usage regulations and have removed "Fortnite Heroes" from the shelves.
Following the game's removal, Epic Games protested Apple and filed a lawsuit in California, alleging that Apple's App Store platform and mechanisms create a market monopoly. If Epic Games prevails, it could potentially lead to changes in the revenue-sharing model currently enforced by Apple and Google for app developers.
At the same time, EPIC Games also sued Google for the removal of its game, and even further accused Google of using the Android platform to deeply bind and cooperate with mobile phone manufacturers, making the forced use of its in-App payment mechanism the only option, which formally violated the market monopoly.
