Epic Games continues a legal battle with Apple over Fortnite’s removal from the App Store, and CEO Tim Sweeney is having a little fun while the process plays out. The developer did the unthinkable: promoting a rival game, and all to demonstrate the value of Unreal Engine for Apple users.
On August 28, Apple seemed to take a shot at Epic Games by promoting a massive new update for PUBG Mobile on iOS. Typically, Epic Games would see PUBG Mobile as its competition, but because the game does make use of Unreal Engine–which Apple is looking to cut off from iOS and Mac developers–Sweeney promoted the game, as well.
The passive-aggressive nature of the tweet certainly isn’t lost on us, because if Apple does eventually cease Unreal Engine support on its devices, that would likely mean no more PUBG Mobile. Unreal is one of the most popular engines in the world, with support on nearly every device including mobile, PC, and consoles.
Epic Games’ shots at Apple have continued with its Free Fortnite campaign and tournament. It also gave away assets so players can make their own Free Fortnite merchandise, even giving permission for them to sell it. As the logo parodies one of Apple’s earlier designs, it seems Epic is trying to win in the court of public opinion if it can’t actually win its lawsuit.
And despite not being as successful as Fortnite, PUBG Mobile has managed to carve out a healthy niche. Its 1.0 update will include major improvements across the board, and a new competition is going to award $2 million in prizes.
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