Apple generates over $100m from ‘Fortnite’

As another phase of the Apple vs. Epic Games trial continues today, Michael Schmid, Apple’s head of App Store market growth for entertainment, said the company made more than $100 million in commissions from offering Fortnite on the App Store.

He mentioned the former as a “never-ending crescendo” and a “quite challenging relationship,” with Apple employees receiving calls at all hours of the day and night, even on Christmas Day, to assist with problems with the famous battle royale.

Schmid wouldn’t reveal how much the turnover was or whether it was more than $200 million, claiming it would be “inappropriate” to share such detail. After a two-year run, Epic’s Fortnite was pulled from the App Store last year. In 2018, it was released on the App Store.

Last year, the app industry research company Sensor Tower reported that Fortnite consumers spend almost $1.2 billion on the App Store, raising $354 million in sales for Apple.

When Fortnite was available on the App Store, Apple took a 30% cut of in-app updates.

As the Apple vs. Epic Games trial enters its third week, Apple Fellow Phil Schiller disclosed the $50 million cost of WWDC, as well as information on the App Store Small Business Program. This week, Apple CEO Tim Cook is due to testify in court, which may be pivotal in the lawsuit.