The first outcome of the legal battle between Apple and Epic Games has concluded with a tie. Epic Games asked for a restraining order to prevent Apple from terminating Epic’s developer accounts on August 28. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, has decided not to require Apple to allow Fortnite on the App Store, but Apple won’t be able to terminate all of Epic’s developer accounts.

Epic Games has managed to find limited success in the latest chapter of the Apple VS Epic Games story. The court decided to give Apple a restraining order that will prevent Apple from terminating developer accounts relating to Epic International, including Unreal Engine. Unfortunately, Apple will be able to end the Epic Games developer account, and it seems that the Fortnite app will not be allowed back on the App Store anytime soon.

According to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple seems to be happy with this decision, as it expresses that it’s ready to welcome Fortnite back if Epic Games decides to remove the direct payment option and return to the status quo.

“We thank the court for recognizing that Epic’s problem is entirely self-inflicted and is in their power to resolve. Our very first priority is making sure App Store users have a great experience in a safe and trusted environment, including iPhone users who play Fortnite and who are looking forward to the game’s next season.

“We agree with Judge Gonzalez-Rogers that ‘the sensible way to proceed’ is for Epic to comply with the ‌App Store‌ guidelines and continue to operate while the case proceeds. If Epic takes the steps the judge has recommended, we will gladly welcome Fortnite back onto iOS. We look forward to making our case to the court in September.”

Apple’s response to the Judge’s temporary order pic.twitter.com/BXwvWcgiCB

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) August 25, 2020

Now, Epic’s lawyer claimed that Epic Games can’t go back into an anticompetitive contract, so only time will tell if iOS users will be able to enjoy the next season of Fortnite that starts in just a couple of days.

Source MacRumors

Via Bloomberg