#FreeFortnite Cup: Epic Games to hold anti-Apple Fortnite tournament amid App store ban and lawsuit

Competitors can win prizes including a villainous apple-themed character skin

Epic Games have launched a Fortnite tournament called the #FreeFortnite cup in a targeted dig at Apple.

The move comes amid an ongoing legal battle between Epic and Apple, following Fortnite‘s ban from the App Store.

The tournament will take place on Sunday 23 August, and will see players across all platforms compete to win prizes which seem to mock Apple.

Last week, Epic added a new direct payment system to Fortnite, contravening Apple’s policies. Apple removed Fortnite from its App Store the same day, which prompted a lawsuit by Epic.

Fortnite also released a parody video which likened Apple’s business practices to George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, invoking the famous Apple advertisement from 1984.

After the release of the video, the hashtag #FreeFortnite began trending on Twitter.

In the #FreeFortnite Cup, players can win rewards which include an in-game skin of the villainous apple which featured in its “1984” video, a #FreeFortnite hat, and gaming hardware.

A blog post announcing the tournament also stated that iOS players would not be able to play the next season of Fortnite, which is scheduled to begin on 27 August.

Epic kick the anti-Apple PR campaign up another notch with the launch of the '#FreeFortnite Cup' (Epic Games)

Many Fortnite players and social media users reacted to the announcement with amusement, with one Twitter user writing: “Fortnite really out here making an angry apple skin for a tournament out of spite,” along with several “crying laughing” emojis.

Another post described the tournament as “a massive final f*** you to Apple before Fortnite‘s completely gone from ios”.

Details for the #FreeFortnite Cup, including the rules and how to enter, can be found here.