Apple terminates Epic's developer account as promised
However, Unreal Engine on iOS remains unaffected thanks to restraining order
Apple has followed through on its pledge to terminate Epic Games' developer account on iOS, according to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman.
This means that Epic-developed games such as Infinity Blade can no longer be downloaded from the App Store even if they were already purchased.
And Epic has already confirmed that this means no new seasons of Fortnite for those who already have the game downloaded on iOS -- or any other updates, for that matter.
However, due to Epic's successful bid for a restraining order earlier this week, Apple has not terminated Epic's access to developer tools for Unreal Engine, meaning that developers using Unreal can still do so unimpeded and with the same level of access as on other platforms.
"We are disappointed that we have had to terminate the Epic Games account on the App Store," reads an official statement from Apple, shared with 9to5Mac. "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."
These moves come as part of an ongoing battle between Epic and Apple, as Epic brings a legal challenge against Apple's walled garden approach to its App Store and 30% revenue share, a battle that has also impacted Fortnite's availability on Google Play.