Last week, Apple announced that it will be terminating Epic Games' developer account. It was likely retaliation to the latter submitting a lawsuit after Apple had removed Fortnite from the Apple App Store. Microsoft has now decided to throw in its support for Epic Games, stating that termination of a developer account will hurt other game creators that rely on Unreal Engine.
According to MacRumors, Epic Games has claimed that multiple companies with a license to develop games in Unreal Engine have voiced concerns over Apple's decision. The company claimed that Apple could impact these licensees ability to develop games for iOS and macOS. For example, Kevin Gammill (Microsoft GM of Gaming Developer Experiences) said that it could cause Unreal Engine and games to rely on it to be "at a substantial disadvantage".
Fortnite is not the only game that uses the Unreal Engine. A few well-known games like Forza Street and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds are also developed on Unreal Engine. If Epic Games' developer account is terminated, it could affect the company's ability to improve the game engine's compatibility with iOS and macOS.
Now that other companies are looking to support Epic Games in its lawsuit against Apple, the pressure is on Apple to respond. But should the biggest company in the US back down or should Epic Games comply and remove its direct payment option? Share your thoughts with us in the comments on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.
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