Apple pulls Epic Games' developer account, removing all of the studio's games from the App Store

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Infinity Blade and Battle Breakers are gone

Nineteen-Eighty Fortnite
(Image credit: Epic Games)

Apple has taken another step in its ongoing feud with Epic Games, terminating the developer's account on the App Store and removing all of its games. This also revokes Epic Games' access to Apple's development tools.

The company had threatened to take this action if Epic failed to adhere to the App Store guidelines, a move Epic said could "cripple the Unreal Engine." Following a lawsuit filed by Epic seeking a preliminary injunction, Apple has now followed through with its threat.

"We are disappointed that we have had to terminate the Epic Games account on the ‌App Store‌," Apple said in a statement (via MacRumors). "We have worked with the team at Epic Games for many years on their launches and releases. The court recommended that Epic comply with the ‌App Store‌ guidelines while their case moves forward, guidelines they've followed for the past decade until they created this situation. 

"Epic has refused. Instead they repeatedly submit Fortnite updates designed to violate the guidelines of the ‌App Store‌. This is not fair to all other developers on the ‌App Store‌ and is putting customers in the middle of their fight. We hope that we can work together again in the future, but unfortunately that is not possible today."

Epic, for its part, has launched a less formal campaign in their ongoing feud with Apple, releasing "Free Fortnite" merchandise and even creating a parody video criticizing the tech giant.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.