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Epic Games Locks Horns With Google And Apple In A Lawsuit Over Fortnite

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Epic Games Locks Horns With Google And Apple In A Lawsuit Over Fortnite

Google and Apple combined are responsible for providing a platform for downloading applications and are also the market leaders for app stores.  Almost every developer launches their app either on the Google Play Store and/or the Apple App Store, so that consumers and customers can see their products or services.  There are 2.8 million android applications available on the Google Play Store while the Apple App Store has close to 1.3 million apps available for its users in early 2020.

A popular game, Fortnite was removed from both Apple and Google platforms over ambiguity in the way Fortnite developer Epic Games conducted payments inside the gaming app.  This led to Epic Games filing lawsuits against both Apple and Google for banning Fortnite from their platforms.  Fortnite is one of the biggest battle royale games in the world right now and there are over 250 million Fortnite players in the world.  

Unfolding of the ban:

Fortnite’s latest game update offered all players a 20% discount on its in-game currency V-bucks,  but only if they paid Epic Games directly rather than using Apple or Google’s payment systems.  This did not sit well with Google and Apple as both platforms take a standard 30% of purchases on their app stores.  It also meant Epic Games broke the rules applying to both the stores.

Apple proceeded to remove Epic Games from their platform leaving ios users with no way to install the game.  Epic games released a video mocking Apple with a television themes advert similar to the one Apple used in their 1984 Super Bowl commercial.

A few hours later after the Apple ban, Fortnite vanished from the Google Play Store, as well.

What is the lawsuit

Documents available in the public domain through the United States court records system show Epic Games filed a complaint against Google in a California court, just as it did against Apple.  The lawsuit highlights Google’s motto which was once “Don’t be evil.”  Epic Games said “Google has relegated its motto to nearly an afterthought, and is using its size to do evil upon competitors, innovators, customers, and users in a slew of markets it has grown to monopolise (sic.)”

The lawsuit further goes on to describe a deal that Epic Games had reached with phone maker OnePlus to make its games available ‘seamlessly’ on their devices.  Epic Games said “But Google forced OnePlus to renege on the deal, citing Google’s ‘particular concern’ about Epic having the ability to install and update mobile games while ‘bypassing the Google Play Store (sic.)”

What is Epic Games looking for?

Epic Games says it wants the mobile app stores to be fairer for all developers.  Epic Games also highlights that it is not seeking a compensation payout or more favourable deal for itself.  However, they state any reduction in the 30% cut charged by both Apple and Google will help Epic Games favourably.  

 

Google said “The open Android ecosystem lets developers distribute apps through multiple app stores.  For game developers who choose to use the Play Store, we have consistent policies that are fair to developers and keep the store safe for users.  While Fortnite remains available on Android, we can no longer make it available on Play because it violates our policies (sic.)”

Apple said in a statement “Epic has had apps on the App Store for a decade, and have benefited from the App Store ecosystem – including its tools, testing, and distribution that Apple provides to all developers.  Epic agreed to the App Store terms and guidelines freely and we’re glad they’ve built such a successful business on the App Store. The fact that their business interests now lead them to push for a special arrangement does not change the fact that these guidelines create a level playing field for all developers and make the store safe for all users (sic.)”  It also said  “We will make every effort to work with Epic to resolve these violations so they can return Fortnite to the App Store (sic.)”

It will be interesting to watch the outcome of the lawsuit filed by Epic Games and if the courts will rule in the favour of a fairer market or in the favour of existing market rules.

 

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ZILO Raises $4.5M to Boost Quick Fashion Delivery

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Zilo - StartupStories

Mumbai-based fashion tech startup ZILO has raised $4.5 million in seed funding, with Info Edge Ventures and Chiratae Ventures co-leading the round. Founded in 2025 by ex-Flipkart and Myntra executive Padmakumar Pal and entrepreneur Bhavik Jhaveri, ZILO aims to transform urban fashion retail by delivering products from over 250 brands—including Levi’s, Louis Philippe, and Puma—within 60 minutes of order placement. The new capital will be used to strengthen ZILO’s hybrid supply chain, deepen brand partnerships, and expand operations beyond Mumbai into other major metro cities by year-end.

ZILO’s quick commerce model stands out by combining the convenience of online shopping with the efficiency of offline retail. The platform operates through a network of dark stores and brand outlets to ensure fast delivery of fresh, in-season fashion items. Customers benefit from scheduled home trials, allowing them to try multiple sizes upon delivery with the option for instant returns, and receive AI-powered style recommendations for a more personalized shopping experience.

The funding comes amid surging investor interest in ultra-fast fashion delivery startups, as rapid fulfillment becomes a key differentiator in India’s competitive ecommerce landscape. With plans to expand its product range to include footwear, bags, and accessories by the festive season and scale up to nearly 100,000 styles, ZILO is positioning itself to meet the growing demand for speed, personalization, and reliability in fashion retail.

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Meta in Advanced Talks to Acquire Voice Cloning Startup PlayAI to Boost AI Capabilities

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Meta Ai

Meta Platform is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire PlayAI, a Palo Alto-based startup renowned for its cutting-edge voice cloning technology powered by artificial intelligence. While the deal is not yet finalized, sources indicate that Meta aims to acquire both PlayAI’s proprietary technology and a significant portion of its staff. Though financial details remain confidential, industry insiders estimate the acquisition could be worth between $300 million and $500 million.

PlayAI has made a name for itself by developing tools that generate highly realistic voice clones, with applications spanning customer service, virtual assistants, and conversational AI agents. A key differentiator for PlayAI is its low-latency, edge-computing architecture, allowing for near-instant, natural-sounding voice responses. The startup has attracted over $23 million in funding from notable investors such as 500 Startups and Kindred Ventures, positioning itself as a leader in the rapidly growing field of voice AI.

For Meta, this potential acquisition fits squarely within CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broader strategy to make artificial intelligence central to the company’s future. Integrating PlayAI’s advanced voice technology could significantly enhance Meta’s AI assistant, smartglasses, and other hands-free devices, helping the company keep pace with competitors like Google and OpenAI. The move also follows Meta’s recent multi-billion dollar investment in Scale AI and its aggressive recruitment of top AI talent, signaling Zuckerberg’s commitment to leading in the next wave of AI innovation. Both Meta and PlayAI have declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations.

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Elon Musk Bans Hashtags from X Ads, Ushering in a New Era of AI-Driven Marketing

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Hashtag on X

Elon Musk has announced that, starting June 27, 2025, hashtags will be banned from all promoted posts on X (formerly Twitter). This policy applies exclusively to paid advertisements, meaning regular users can still include hashtags in their personal posts. Musk described hashtags in ads as an “esthetic nightmare,” emphasizing that the change is intended to create a cleaner, less cluttered feed where advertisements blend more seamlessly with organic content. 

The ban reflects Musk’s long-standing criticism of hashtags, which he has called “ugly” and unnecessary. He argues that with the platform’s advanced AI tools, such as the Grok chatbot, hashtags are no longer essential for content discovery or categorization. Instead, X’s algorithms can now surface and organize relevant content and ads without relying on manual tags, signaling a broader industry shift toward AI-driven content curation.

For advertisers, this marks a significant departure from traditional social media marketing strategies, where hashtags have been key for engagement and campaign tracking. Brands will now need to adapt by focusing on compelling visuals, concise copy, and leveraging X’s AI-powered targeting. The move has sparked debate among marketers and users, with some supporting the cleaner look and others lamenting the loss of a familiar engagement tool.

 

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