Apple's threat to revoke game maker Epic's Apple Developer account could break hundreds of games on macOS and iOS. That's because Epic's Unreal Engine, a framework used by countless developers to create 3D games, would no longer be updated for Apple's platforms.
Apple drops hammer ban on Epic Games over mean tweet
That’s a major blow to Epic, and could destabilize an entire mobile gaming ecosystem. Meanwhile, the mere possibility of an Unreal “ban” has prompted rival Unity to go public. If ever there was a news story that required popcorn and a delicious beverage, this is it.
“If Apple and Epic don’t resolve their differences,” game designer and owner of Thunkd game studio Andrew Crawshaw told Lifewire via direct message, “developers using Unreal will either have to stop making versions of their games for iOS or change their engine.”
Epic wanted to provoke Apple into pulling Fortnite to justify a legal challenge to App Store rules that force developers to use Apple’s payment system and pay Apple 30% of all transactions. Then things went terribly wrong when Apple cracked down by threatening developer accounts.
