UPDATE: Fortnite has also been removed from the Google Play Store for violating the store's policies, but remains playable on Android. Epic Games has filed suit against Google as well as Apple.
Despite being removed from the App Store by Apple, Fortnite is still playable on iOS devices. The battle royal phenomenon has been taken down from the App Store following a row between Apple and Epic Games that has resulted in legal papers being filed against the iPhone maker.
The removal of Fortnite from the App Store came as Epic Games introduced a new update that allowed users to pay the publisher directly for in-game purchases. This circumvented Apple's own payment system, which the tech giant has banned in its terms and conditions. Although it remains a controversial practice, Apple takes a 30 percent cut of all transactions on its platform and prevents apps from using separate payment systems. Epic's move would have allowed players to purchase V-Bucks and in-game items at a cheaper price as the company could take a bigger cut without having to pay Apple.
Fortnite authority and Twitter user Lucas7yoshi confirmed that those who have previously downloaded the game will still be able to play it on Apple devices. However, users will not be able to access any additional content that releases or be able to download future updates. That means that anybody who has previously downloaded Fortnite on an iPhone or other iOS device can get back into the battle royale title, even if it is not currently on their device. Epic Games later explained that the next season of Chapter 2 will be inaccessible for everybody on an Apple device.
Apple's so-called 'app tax' has been a thorn in the side of developers for many years. Some have even compared the tech company to the mafia due to the fact that it essentially has a monopoly on in-app payments on iOS devices. The 30 percent fee was brought up at a congressional hearing in July of this year, although Apple defended the stringent rules it has in place. Other providers such as Google and Amazon take similar fees but, unlike Apple, both companies allow developers to implement their own payment systems. Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney has also previously complained about the profit split, arguing it is unfair to developers.
The fact that Epic Games has decided to take on Apple is unusual. While other companies have raised concerns about what they perceive as an unfair payment system, no one has challenged Apple in the courts. But Epic is one of the biggest names in the industry and has the financial backing to take on the iPhone maker, and a good reason to do so, given the immense popularity of Fortnite. Of course, the fight might not ever end up before a judge as Apple and Epic Games could come to some sort of agreement. Whatever the case, it is likely that today's events will have some sort of effect on how Apple collects fees in the future.
Source: Lucas7yoshi, Epic Games