Epic Games Update:  For iphone users, there’s little to cheer because the popular game Fortnite will not be available as Epic Games on Wednesday decried Apple's App Store "monopoly" and clearly stated it will not remove a direct payment feature on the platform. Also Read: Facebook Warns iOS 14 Update May Slash Its Advertising Business By 50%; Here's How

This move is followed by an ongoing legal battle that ensued after Epic implemented its own method of in-game purchases for Fortnite on Apple's App Store earlier this month instead of using Apple's required in-app purchase system that charges commissions of 30 per cent, as per the news agency Reuters.

In response, Apple had removed Epic’s  Fornite game from its App Store and also warned of blocking the affiliated account, which would have led to issues in the distribution of Unreal Engine, a software tool relied on by hundreds of other app makers.

In a decision related to the shutting down Unreal Engine by Apple, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the US District Court for the Northern District of California it had asked Apple not to block Unreal Engine but allowed the maker to keep Fornite out of its store until Epic meets Apple's request to resubmit the app without the direct payment feature.

The judge had taken the decision considering Epic would not face "irreparable harm" by temporarily removing the direct payment feature while its case against Apple proceeds.

"We agree with Judge Gonzalez Rogers that 'the sensible way to proceed' is for Epic to comply with the App Store," Apple said on Tuesday.

In a blog post Wednesday, Epic said it disagreed in principle with Apple's payment rules and would not resubmit Fortnite to the App Store without the direct payment system.

"Their proposal is an invitation for Epic to collude with Apple to maintain their monopoly over in-app payments on iOS, suppressing free market competition and inflating prices," Epic wrote in the post.