Bitcoin
$41,925.36+4.78%
Ethereum
$2,239.36+2.01%
Binance Coin
$228.26+1.83%
XRP
$0.62381479-0.01%
Solana
$61.57-2.52%
Cardano
$0.40726760+2.98%
Dogecoin
$0.09196648+7.01%
Tron
$0.10434638-4.90%
Chainlink
$15.73-0.11%
Avalanche
$22.24+1.63%
Polygon
$0.80808023-0.89%
Polkadot
$5.57+1.56%
PlayIconNav
Crypto Prices CoinDesk Market Index CoinDesk Market Index

Opinion

Fortnite vs. Apple and Google Is the Internet's First ‘World War’

What’s truly at stake in Epic Games' battle with Apple and Google is the power to shape and profit from the future of digital experiences.

By Nathaniel Whittemore
AccessTimeIconAug 14, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. UTC
Updated Sep 14, 2021 at 9:44 a.m. UTC
AccessTimeIconAug 14, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. UTCUpdated Sep 14, 2021 at 9:44 a.m. UTC
Fortnite Battle

(Muhammad Faiz Zulkeflee/Unsplash)

AccessTimeIconAug 14, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. UTCUpdated Sep 14, 2021 at 9:44 a.m. UTC

What’s truly at stake is the power to shape and profit from the future of digital experiences.

For more episodes and free early access before our regular 3 p.m. Eastern time releases, subscribe with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher, RadioPublica, iHeartRadio or RSS.

This episode is sponsored by Crypto.com, Bitstamp and Nexo.io.

Today on the Brief:

  • Jobless claims down and retail sales up
  • The U.S. Federal Reserve is running distributed ledger technology experiments 
  • The end of an era, as BitMEX begins KYC

Our main discussion: the big battle brewing between Epic Games and Apple/Google.

NLW looks at:

  • Why Fortnite got kicked off the Apple and Google app stores 
  • Why Epic Games is suing in response
  • Why this was all very clearly planned by Epic Games
  • Why Apple and Google should be nervous about anti-trust 
  • Why this is about a much bigger future than just a single game

See also: Epic Games Blasts Apple’s ‘Anti-Competitive’ Payments Practices in Lawsuit

For more episodes and free early access before our regular 3 p.m. Eastern time releases, subscribe with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher, RadioPublica, iHeartRadio or RSS.

Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, institutional digital assets exchange. Bullish group is majority owned by Block.one; both groups have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary, and an editorial committee, chaired by a former editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal, is being formed to support journalistic integrity.