As the ongoing battle between Epic Games and Apple continues to unfold, mobile game development is at risk of being severely impacted. In a recent filing, Epic has alleged that Apple's decision to cutoff support for the Unreal Engine would have disastrous consequences for developers who rely on this engine.

The Unreal Engine, developed by Epic, is a powerful tool used by many game developers to create high-quality games for mobile devices. However, according to Epic, Apple is threatening to revoke its support for the Unreal Engine as part of its broader efforts to punish Epic for violating its App Store policies. This move would not only harm Epic's own ability to develop and distribute games but also affect developers who have built their games using the Unreal Engine.

In a new declaration filed in support of Epic's motion, Microsoft has emphasized the severity of this situation. According to Kevin Gammill, Microsoft's general manager for third-party developers on the Xbox, revoking access to Apple's developer tools would effectively halt support for many games, including Microsoft's popular Forza series. This would not only be a significant blow to Epic but also to the broader mobile game development community.

The conflict between Epic and Apple began when Epic announced a new in-app payment system for Fortnite that skirted Apple's 30% fee. Apple responded by removing Fortnite from its App Store, citing its long-standing rules for in-app purchases. Epic subsequently filed an antitrust lawsuit seeking to establish the App Store as a monopoly.

In response to Epic's motion, Apple has argued that Epic created a false "emergency" by accepting direct payments through Fortnite in violation of Apple's rules. However, Epic claims that this move was necessary to protect its users from excessive fees and that it is merely seeking to establish fairer business practices.

The outcome of this dispute will have significant implications for the mobile game development community. As developers rely increasingly on powerful engines like Unreal Engine to create engaging games, the threat of cutoff support could have far-reaching consequences. It remains to be seen whether Apple will back down or if Epic will prevail in its efforts to establish a more level playing field.

Keywords: mobile game development, Unreal Engine, App Store policies