Apple Has 'Lost Sight of the Tech Industry's Founding Principles,' Says Epic Games CEO

Following Apple's countersuit on Tuesday, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has now responded to Apple's new request for damages for breach of contract.

fortnite apple logo 2

Sweeney says that Apple's claim that the legal dispute is "nothing more than a basic disagreement over money" is an indication that it has "lost sight of the tech industry's founding principles," although he does not explicitly state what these founding principles are. He also assumes that Apple is "posturing for the court."

Sweeney went on to refer to Epic's "Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite" commercial, explaining that it was intended to show that Apple was now the "all-powerful corporation dictating the terms of users' access to their devices," displacing IBM, and that it is "using that position to exert control and extract money."

He then reiterated some of the rationale behind why ‌Epic Games‌ began the campaign against Apple's App Store policies, stating that "creators have rights." Sweeney concluded by strongly disputing that the entire disagreement was about money, instead saying it is a more fundamental fight for change.

‌Epic Games‌' developer account has now been terminated, and the company has filed for a preliminary injunction that would both allow Fortnite back on the ‌App Store‌ and restore access to its developer account. At the same time, ‌Epic Games‌ has refused to remove the direct payment option that is in direct violation of Apple's ‌‌App Store‌‌ policies‌. The preliminary injunction hearing will take place at the end of this month.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

10 Products Still Coming From Apple in 2025

Friday April 11, 2025 4:14 pm PDT by
Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and early this year, but there are still multiple new devices that we're looking forward to seeing in 2025. Most will come in September or October, but there could be a few surprises before then. We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2025. iPhone 17, 17 Air, and 17 Pro - We get...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone Resolutions Leak With Under-Screen Camera Tipped

Monday April 14, 2025 3:12 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold") will feature two screens as part of its book-style design, and a Chinese leaker claims to know the resolutions for both of them. According to the Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station, the inner display, which is approximately 7.76 inches, will use a 2,713 x 1,920 resolution and feature "under-screen camera technology." Meanwhile, the...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.4.1 With Bug Fixes

Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:11 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1 come two weeks after the launch of iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There have been complaints about ...
Apple Bristol Current

An Apple Store in the UK is Permanently Closing Later This Year

Monday April 14, 2025 7:33 am PDT by
Apple has confirmed that it will be permanently closing its retail store in the heart of Bristol, England, and there is no replacement in sight. Apple Bristol in 2023 Apple Bristol will be closing its doors on Saturday, August 9, due to redevelopment plans at the Cabot Circus Shopping Centre, and the adjacent Bristol Shopping Quarter. According to news reports, and a building application, the ...

Top Rated Comments

Anson_431 Avatar
60 months ago
Epic: We are fighting for change!

Also Epic: *Remains silent towards that same 30% charge on consoles*

oops lol
Score: 82 Votes (Like | Disagree)
t76turbo Avatar
60 months ago
Epic is a spoiled brat..... Glad I dont play fortnite anymore.
Score: 65 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
60 months ago
Apple Has 'Lost Sight of the Tech Industry's Founding Principles,' Says Epic Games CEO
He's got a point. The tech industry was founded on the principle that Epic is entitled to be on Apple's app store for free and not incur fees for subscriptions made on that platform, despite having to pay similar fees on every other platform.

Sure, we all balked and wondered what the hell an "app store," "Epic," and "Fortnite" was back in the '70s, but they all turned out to be incredibly relevant.
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
60 months ago
I think Epic should look in the mirror and see who is "losing sight and of what."

And sure Apple should let them back into the app store and restore their account...after they remove the theft of revenue from the app and apologize...
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fokmik Avatar
60 months ago
When you cant say anything constructive and logical , you start a fight, and bashing like a child
Its clear Epic CEO is mad/angry....its a MAAAD WORLD THERE AT EPIC
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
metalsiren Avatar
60 months ago
what such bull **** Epic, its over Money that you want. you want to be able to sell a product at Walmart and for Walmart to get no money from it. or even worse setup your OWN shop in a Walmart and they get nothing for it
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)