To furtner punish Epic for its aggressive attack, Apple deleted Epic's developer account on the App Store
If you happen to have Fortnite on your iPhone or iPad, you can play it, but it won't get updates, since Epic is cut off from the Apple ecosystem. If you used to have Fortnite before, you can not download it from your "Purchased apps" tab — Apple made sure of that.
This means that if you reset your iPhone, or if you upgrade to a new iPhone, you will have to bid Fortnite "bye bye", for the time being. But for how long?
By the looks of it, it could be at least a year. For one, the lawsuits between Epic and Apple are still in their infancy. We have a tonne of popcorn ready, as this whole drama is not yet fully played out. But, more to the point, Apple has absolutely refused to reinstate Epic's developer account on the App Store. In fact,
Apple says that it will be at least a year before Epic is even allowed to re-apply for a developer account.
Note, this only says "apply for" — there's no guarantee that Epic will even be allowed back on iOS. But maybe, probably, if it behaves for a year, Apple may consider it.
Apple has said that it will not let Epic Games re-apply to the Apple Developer Program for at least one year.
Epic Games did file a preliminary injunction last week to overturn this ban.
Assuming no changes, it's unlikely Fortnite returns to iOS before August 2021. pic.twitter.com/LChsKdhvHb
Those of us that don't care much about Fortnite might be inclined to hang back and watch these companies have at it. However, the banning of Epic's developer account has introduced a major problem that affects a ton of games and their developers. Since Epic's Unreal Engine is one of the most popular platforms to make games on, this means that a ton of developers have lost access to a major tool. Microsoft spoke up on the side of game developers, stating that they are stuck between a hammer and a hard place — they either need to stop developing for iOS and macOS, or they need to switch all of its upcoming titles to a different engine altogether. Both of these are terrible choices.
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A hearing on a preliminary injunction is scheduled for September 28th and Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said that she was inclined to protect the Unreal Engine from Apple. So, Epic just may be back in the Apple ecosystem in some form. Perhaps, a proxy account that's solely dedicated to maintaining the Unreal Engine? We'll see.
Preslav, a member of the PhoneArena team since 2014, is a mobile technology enthusiast with a penchant for integrating tech into his hobbies and work. Whether it's writing articles on an iPad Pro, recording band rehearsals with multiple phones, or exploring the potential of mobile gaming through services like GeForce Now and Steam Link, Preslav's approach is hands-on and innovative. His balanced perspective allows him to appreciate both Android and iOS ecosystems, focusing on performance, camera quality, and user experience over brand loyalty.
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