On Thursday, an update to the mobile version of Fortnite allowed the purchase of V-Bucks directly from Epic Games. That triggered a whirlwind of attention that only increased after the announcement that both Apple and Google had pulled Fortnite from their stores for download. Suddenly, the largest game in the world was no longer available on mobile.

This situation has since escalated to a full-out battle as Epic Games filed lawsuits against Apple and Google. A standoff between developers and distribution platforms has been a long time coming, but now that the battle has encompassed Fortnite, arguably the biggest game of all time, it has been given a whole new spotlight.

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As seen last year with their battle with Steam over the platform’s cuts of game sales and the creation of the Epic Game Store, Fortnite has given Epic Games the ability to try and stand up for the little guy, while simultaneously creating community goodwill and more for the industry.

For Epic, this battle is for the developers and publishers that cannot afford to publish their games on mobile platforms. Currently, all in-app purchases must be done through the Google Play or Apple stores, where they take a 30-percent cut.

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Epic tried to get around that fee by opening up an avenue for gamers to buy V-bucks directly from them at a 20% discount, thus bypassing the current system that both Apple and Google have set up. This discount would also pass savings to their players and allow Epic to make more money.

It didn't work out that way though, and Fortnite was pulled from mobile platforms. This prompted Epic to file lawsuits against Apple for their “monopolistic actions that have anti-competitive consequences” on the publishers of apps on their mobile platform. Likewise, they filed a suit against Google stating that the original vision of the Android platform to stay completely open, but Google has begun to “deliberately and systematically close the ecosystem” which has created “unlawful monopolization and anti-competitive restraints.”

Apple has stated many times how the closed system is good for their customers and the publishers on its platform. By holding everyone to the same standard, they keep the store from being flooded with shovel-ware and virus-filled apps. In Apple's opinion, this means their customers can feel safe and expect only high quality when they enter the Apple Ecosystem.

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By Epic attempting a workaround, they violated the contract that all apps on the iOS Marketplace are held to, resulting in Fortnite being removed. According to Apple, all apps must be reviewed to deem them safe for their ecosystem, and all in-app purchases must be done through their store to ensure the safety a closed system provides. Apple also sends a huge message with Fortnite's removal: no game is too big to be considered exempt to Apple's policies.

The situation is a little different for Google, as stated in the lawsuit against them. The Android system prided itself on being an open marketplace. This allowed for the creation of third-party stores which assured that almost any application would have a home on Android.

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Android is an open ecosystem, but not entirely when it comes to games. For gaming they want all purchases to go through their Google Play Store, where they also have a 30% tax. By attempting to get around the Play Store, Google stated that Epic violated its policy for games on the Play store and pulled Fortnite from the store.

However, since the Android system is open, gamers can still download and install Fortnite from third-party stores like the Samsung store. This creates a bigger problem for Google, as the game is technically available, but they have decided to make a stand with the Google Play Store. This precedence could send out a mixed message to consumers when it comes to how developers and publishers are treated within the Android ecosystem.

It is too early to tell how this situation might resolve itself. Being the largest game in the world, the window to keep Fortnite away from mobile platforms has to be short. Epic, however, has proven before that they are willing to go to war for what they feel is right and to create the opportunity for the industry to make more money. No doubt, this will be the biggest attack against the two mobile giants which could forever change the landscape for game developers and publishers.

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