Microsoft has weighed in on the Epic Games drama, speaking in a declaration of support.
“Apple’s discontinuation of Epic’s ability to develop and support Unreal Engine for iOS or macOS will harm game creators and gamers,” said Kevin Gammill, Microsoft’s gaming executive.
The news comes following Apple’s decision to ban Microsoft’s xCloud from the iOS App Store, a new way to access Xbox games from a smartphone via live streaming.
Fortnite had previously suggested that Apple’s decision to terminate its Developer Program membership was an “unlawful effort to maintain its monopoly,” a decision that would not only impact the Fortnite title but the company’s game engine Unreal Engine, which works on iOS and macOS and powers thousands of games.
Speaking in a court filing, Epic Games said that licensees of the Unreal Engine have expressed their “grave concern” over Apple’s decisions. Apple has responded, arguing that Epic Games was responsible for its “self-inflicted wounds” by violating App Store regulations.
Apple has also confirmed that it would be happy to welcome Fornite back to the App Store if the company could address the violations – namely, bypassing Apple’s in-app purchases mechanism.
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