Epic Games is warning fans that Fortnite might be removed from iPhones in a recent iOS update. The game has already been stricken from the app store thanks to Epic's V-Buck sale, a calculated move to undercut Apple's share of the profits from in-app purchases. The Fortnite ban that followed this sale has led to a lengthy and brutal legal battle between the two companies.
Both sides have been striking heavy blows against each other as the war rages on, but the biggest casualty has always been the fans. Even players who were lucky enough to have Fortnite installed on their phone have been unable to receive updates for the game; they've been trapped in the previous content season while everyone else gets to have fun playing with Marvel superheroes. And now it isn't even mobile players who are being affected by the ban; effective today, Epic is ending support for Fortnite's original game mode, Save the World, on macOS systems because Apple won't let the developer update the game anymore.
Now it looks like mobile gamers might not even have access to the outdated version of Fortnite they've been holding on to. According to the Fortnite Status Twitter account, there is a chance that the new iOS 14 update will remove the game from users' phones. According to the account, if users are asked to "temporarily remove apps to install the software update," one of the apps removed might be Fortnite. And if it is, then players won't be able to reinstall it after the update goes through thanks to the ban. This would be especially bad news because, according to certain eBay merchants, phones with Fortnite on them are worth thousands of dollars.
As alarming as this is for Fortnite fans, it might not be a malicious move on Apple's part. As Epic's own proposed solution of offloading other apps to free up space suggests, all the iPhone is trying to do is make room in system storage for the new update. Removing Fortnite in order to accomplish that goal would probably just be a stroke of simple bad luck. Still, it's not likely that Apple would regret this turn of events even if it wasn't planned. The tech giant clearly has no love for Fortnite, and is prepared to let the ban on the game stretch out for at least a year. Players losing access to the game on iOS is pretty much what Apple is already trying to accomplish.
Epic has claimed multiple times that its legal fight against Apple is a righteous act, intended to bring attention to the fact that Apple has a monopoly on the iOS space and to free up the market for individual developers. Apple has roundly disputed these claims, accusing Epic of putting up this struggle just so it can get special treatment. Whatever the case may be, it's a hard time for Fortnite fans who want to experience their favorite game on Mac and iOS. Even after so much fighting, this war is only getting started, and it will be a long time before these inconvenienced Fortnite fans will know peace.
Source: Epic Games