Apple says Fortnite maker Epic Games breached its app store conditions. Photo / Kristin Macfarlane
Apple has kicked the Fortnite app from its app store, sharply escalating its fight with arguably the world's most important game company and one of its lucrative partners.
Epic Games, the maker of the wildly popular video game, made a bold move this week: It began encouraging users of its
iPhone and Android apps to pay it directly, rather than via Apple or Google.
And now Apple has responded.
"Epic enabled a feature in its app which was not reviewed or approved by Apple, and they did so with the express intent of violating the App Store guidelines," Apple said. "We will make every effort to work with Epic to resolve these violations so they can return Fortnite to the App Store."