Epic Games: Apple to end developer accounts, remove company from iOS and Mac tools on Aug. 28

The battle royale between Epic Games and Apple is heating up as the video game developer is claiming the App Store plans to remove all of Epic's developer accounts and cut the the company off from iOS and Mac development tools on Aug. 28.

"Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store and has informed Epic that on Friday, Aug. 28, Apple will terminate all our developer accounts and cut Epic off from iOS and Mac Development Tools," the company tweeted. "We are asking the court to stop this retaliation."

"We very much want to keep the company as part of the Apple Developer Program and their apps on the Store, a spokesperson for Apple told FOX Business in a statement. "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."

'FORTNITE' APP REMOVAL THREATENS SOCIAL LIFELINE FOR YOUNG GAMERS

As a result of the decision, Epic has filed a motion against the tech giant.

"Not content simply to remove Fortnite from the App Store, Apple is attacking Epic’s entire business in unrelated areas. Epic is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims, but without an injunction, Epic will be irreparably harmed long before final judgment comes," Epic said. "Left unchecked, 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 developer is asking the court to restrain Apple from "removing, de-listing, refusing to list or otherwise making unavailable the app Fortnite, including any Fortnite update, from the App Store because it provides Fortnite users choice and lower prices on in-app purchases." In addition, the company is seeking an order to prohibit Apple from "taking steps against Epic’s other games and against the Unreal Engine in retaliation for Epic steps to offer Fortnite users choice and lower prices on in-app purchases."

A spokesperson for Epic did not immediately return FOX Business' request for comment.

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The escalation in tensions comes after Epic launched a direct payment system aimed at offering Fortnite players a 20% discount that would also allow the company to avoid paying a 30% fee to the App Store and Google Play, prompting both services to remove the popular video game from their platforms on Thursday.

Apple has previously said it will make "every effort to work with Epic to resolve these violations so they can return Fortnite to the App Store."

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