By this time, everyone is fully aware of what’s currently going on between Apple and Epic. Basically, Epic decided to sue Apple for not allowing its new in-game payment option for Fortnite. The same which Apple thinks will disrupt its entire Appstore model and it seems reasonable.
A series of emails were shared by Apple as evidence in the court. One such email received by Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and other higher-order executives at Apple from Epics CEO Tim Sweeney tells that Epic was already buckling up for a war against Apple. This email first appeared on https://cdn.vox-cdn.com as they were presented in the court
Email:
From: Tim Sweeney <tim.sweeney@epicgames.com>
Date: August 13, 2020 at 2:08:53 AM PDT
To: Tim Cook <tcook@apple.com>, Phil Schiller <schiller@apple.com>, CraigFederighi <federighi@apple.com>, Matt Fischer <matt.fischer@apple.com>, Douglas <vetter@apple.com>
Subject: Fortnite payments
Dear Tim, Phil, Craig, Matt, Douglas,
I’m writing to tell you that Epic will no longer adhere to Apple’s payment processing restrictions.
Today, Epic is launching Epic direct payments in Fortnite on iOS, offering customers the choice of paying in-app through Epic direct payments or through apple payments and passing on the savings of Epic direct payments to customers in the form of lower prices.
We choose to follow this path in the firm belief that history and law are on our side. Smartphones are essential computing devices that people use to live their lives and conduct their business. Apple’s position that its manufacture of a device gives it free rein to control, restrict, and tax commerce by consumers and creative expression by developers is repugnant to the principles of a free society.
Ending these restrictions will benefit consumers in the form of lower prices, increased product selection, and business model innovation.
Henceforth, all versions of Fortnite that Epic submits to the App Store will contain these two payment options, side by side, for customers to choose among.
We hope that Apple will reflect on its platform restrictions and begin to make historic changes that bring to the world’s billion iOS consumers the rights and freedoms enjoyed on the world’s leading open computing platforms including Windows and macOS. In support of this path, Epic’s public explanation of our payment service will be neutral and factual to provide Apple with a chance to consider taking a supportive route and communicating it in a way of Apple’schoosing.
If Apple chooses instead to take punitive action by blocking consumer access to Fortnite or forthcoming updates, then Epic will, regrettably, be in conflict with Apple on a multitude of fronts – creative, technical, business, and legal – for so long as it takes to bring about change, if necessary for many years.
Tim Sweeney
Epic Games
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney probably knew what was about to happen after they rolled out the update and that’s what happened.