Today Epic Games introduced Fortnite Mega Drop, a new direct payment method that offers fans of the beloved free-to-play game a 20 percent discount on V-Bucks, their in-game currency used to buy dances and skins.
The idea behind Fortnite Mega Drop is actually rather simple. PC and console players will see a 20 percent drop in price, with mobile players having the option to either save 20 percent paying Epic directly or you can opt to pay more through Apple or Google. This move isn’t terribly surprising, given Epic has been fairly vocal about Apple and Google charging a 30 percent fee, so much so it’s laid out in the actual announcement.
Currently, when using Apple and Google payment options, Apple and Google collect a 30% fee, and the up to 20% price drop does not apply. If Apple or Google lower their fees on payments in the future, Epic will pass along the savings to you.
Epic Games
Unsurprisingly, Apple responded by removing Fortnite from the App Store for violating their terms. And, following Apple’s response, Google also removed the app from their Play Store. But, this is also where things get rather interesting.
In what can only be described as a calculated move, likely stemming from Apple’s antitrust battle, Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple and released a rather pointed video based off their iconic 1984 commercial.
Currently, it’s hard to comment on what the future holds for Apple, Epic Games and to a lesser extent Google, though we have seen some people applaud Epic for their stance. It will be interesting to see how this story develops and what changes it will have, something that will likely have a huge impact on apps going forward.