Epic Games is continuing its "Free Fortnite" campaign amidst its ongoing legal battle with Apple. The developer's latest PR move comes in the form of sending prominent players, streamers, and influencers themed Fortnite gear.
Epic initially announced its lawsuit against the tech giant back in August, claiming the App Store to be "oppressive" in its 30 percent cut of app and in-app purchases. Since then, a legal battle has embroiled the two companies, with no apparent concessions from either party involved.
Apple-themed Fortnite gear is the developer's latest effort to bring more attention to the game's absence on iOS. Epic sent packages including branded items — like a jacket featuring the campaign's branding as well as a Samsung Galaxy S7 tablet — to high-profile individuals in the gaming industry. The jacket features a silhouette of the Fortnite llama, emulating Apple's old rainbow logo. Also included with the package comes a card from Epic Games asking players to re-involve themselves with the ongoing effort to get the battle royale back on iOS devices. This isn't the first time Epic Games has released what can be interpreted as a call to action, with Apple previously accusing the developer of weaponizing Fortnite fans against it. Kinda Funny's Greg Miller took to Twitter to post some pictures of the unexpected package.
The gear's package design is unmistakably Apple-themed. The white boxes with minimal lettering and the game's converted llama logo are the biggest indicators. It appears that Fortnite is sticking to the 1984-themed marketing it began with. Not only is the llama logo the era-appropriate rainbow, but the font on the box features serifs, something the tech company has since moved away from.
Judging by this most recent move, it would appear there's still no love lost between the two huge companies. Epic is continuing in its efforts that many gamers would say directly antagonizes Apple, releasing mockingly-themed gear. The jacket does appear to have all the same features as the hats that were given out as part of the "Free Fortnite" Cup in August.
Unfortunately, Fortnite still remains off of the App Store, and judging by how things are going, it's staying that way. Apple did announce that it was reducing fees for developers in 2021, halving its take from third-party app purchases. However, this only applies to games that make under $1 million in revenue. Given multiple reports that Fortnite earned around $1.8 billion in 2019, it's just a bit out of that category.
Fortnite is free-to-play for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.