(Bloomberg) — Apple Inc. removed Fortnite from the App Store on Thursday, hours after the game’s creator, Epic Games Inc., outlined a new payment plan in violation of Apple’s rules.
Previously: Epic Games Challenges Apple, Google Stores With Direct Payment
Apple requires applications with in-app payments to be billed by Apple, which takes a 30% cut of revenue, similar to Google’s store. On Thursday morning, Epic Games told customers it would begin offering a direct purchase plan for items in the popular battle royale game on both Apple and Google platforms, circumventing the fees. Epic said it would pass on the savings to customers, offering discounts of as much as 20% on its own plan.
Apple said in a statement that it removed Fortnite because Epic took steps with the “express intent of violating the App Store guidelines.” A representative for Epic didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Epic Chief Executive Officer Tim Sweeney has recently criticized stores that take 30% revenue cuts, including its rival, Steam, and criticized Apple and Google as a duopoly in an interview with Bloomberg Television.
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