Apple Fortnite players left behind in new update

Fortnite's latest update has a high-profile Marvel superheroes event - but not on Apple machines

People who play Fortnite on Apple Macs, iPhones and iPads are to be excluded from the game's latest update.

It follows the weeks-long escalating row between the two companies, which resulted in Fortnite being pulled from Apple's App Store.

Mac computers, which do not use the App Store, are also now affected.

Fortnite's updates often make sweeping changes to the game and Thursday's introduces a partnership with Marvel comics superheroes, among other things.

Game development

Epic Games chief executive Tim Sweeney blamed Apple's plan to pull access to developer tools on 28 August, the day after the new season begins.

"Apple has said they will revoke all of Epic's Apple SDK [software development kit] access for game development on Friday," he said.

"If they do that, we won't be able to update Fortnite on Mac."

Current versions of the Mac operating system try to stop users opening any apps not checked by Apple, using a process called "notarising".

Apple Mac computers - such as the iMac - also have strict rules about apps

Apple had attempted to revoke Epic's access to its developer tools for the entire company but was prevented by a court ruling because Epic also makes Unreal Engine, a game development tool used by lots of creators.

And removing its compatibility could have hurt companies not involved in the dispute.

"Epic Games and Apple are at liberty to litigate against each other," the judge ruled.

"But their dispute should not create havoc to bystanders

She did, however, allow Apple to pull those kind of permissions for Epic's own games, such as Fortnite, saying the company had "strategically chosen to breach its agreements with Apple".

'Deliberately violated'

The row began when Epic issued an update for Fortnite that allowed players to buy the in-game currency, V Bucks, directly from Epic instead of using the Apple payment system.

Apple takes a 30% cut from those payments - amounting to millions of dollars from Fortnite.

And it is the only payment system allowed on apps available through the official app store.

But Apple rejects the accusations it runs any kind of monopoly.

It says Epic deliberately violated the guidelines "that are applied equally to every developer and designed to keep the store safe for our users".

Epic is also locked in a similar stand-off with Google, on Android phones.

But Android allows apps to be installed outside of the Google Play app store.

And Fortnite's update is available this way.