Epic Games has filed an injunction to prevent Apple from removing Fortnite from the App Store

Epic Games alleged that Apple will terminate all of the company’s developer accounts.The termination also includes Unreal Engine that enables third-party developers to create three-dimensional graphics for games, films, VR, and biomedical research. In the injunction motion, the company states that:

It [Apple] told Epic that by August 28, Apple will cut off Epic’s access to all development tools necessary to create software for Apple’s platforms—including for the Unreal Engine Epic offers to third-party developers, which Apple has never claimed violated any Apple policy. Not content simply to remove Fortnite from the App Store, Apple is attacking Epic’s entire business in unrelated areas.

The termination also includes Unreal Engine that enables third-party developers to create three-dimensional graphics for games, films, VR, and biomedical research.

“Apple’s actions will irreparably damage Epic’s reputation among Fortnite users and be catastrophic for the future of the separate Unreal Engine business. If the Unreal Engine can no longer support Apple platforms, the software developers that use it will be forced to use alternatives. The damage to Epic’s ongoing business and to its reputation and trust with its customers will be unquantifiable and irreparable. Preliminary injunctive relief is necessary to prevent Apple from crushing Epic before this case could ever get to judgment.” the motion states.

On Monday night, Apple responded to Epic Games in a new statement. The company said they will not “make an exception” for Epic. Here is the full statement: 

The App Store is designed to be a safe and trusted place for users and a great business opportunity for all developers. Epic has been one of the most successful developers on the App Store, growing into a multibillion dollar business that reaches millions of iOS customers around the world. We very much want to keep the company as part of the Apple Developer Program and their apps on the Store. The problem Epic has created for itself is one that can easily be remedied if they submit an update of their app that reverts it to comply with the guidelines they agreed to and which apply to all developers. We won’t make an exception for Epic because we don’t think it’s right to put their business interests ahead of the guidelines that protect our customers.

Here is the full text of  Epic Games’s motion for an injunction to prevent Apple from cutting off Epic’s access to its developer tools.